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Lecture Notes on Multidisciplinary Industrial Engineering Series Editor: J. Paulo Davim
Bojan Lalic Danijela Gracanin Nemanja Tasic Nenad Simeunović Editors
Proceedings on 18th International Conference on Industrial Systems – IS’20 Industrial Innovation in Digital Age
Lecture Notes on Multidisciplinary Industrial Engineering Series Editor J. Paulo Davim , Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
“Lecture Notes on Multidisciplinary Industrial Engineering” publishes special volumes of conferences, workshops and symposia in interdisciplinary topics of interest. Disciplines such as materials science, nanosciences, sustainability science, management sciences, computational sciences, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, manufacturing, mechatronics, electrical engineering, environmental and civil engineering, chemical engineering, systems engineering and biomedical engineering are covered. Selected and peer-reviewed papers from events in these fields can be considered for publication in this series.
More information about this series at https://link.springer.com/bookseries/15734
Bojan Lalic Danijela Gracanin Nemanja Tasic Nenad Simeunović •
•
•
Editors
Proceedings on 18th International Conference on Industrial Systems – IS’20 Industrial Innovation in Digital Age
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Editors Bojan Lalic Faculty of Technical Sciences University of Novi Sad Novi Sad, Serbia
Danijela Gracanin Faculty of Technical Sciences University of Novi Sad Novi Sad, Serbia
Nemanja Tasic Faculty of Technical Sciences University of Novi Sad Novi Sad, Serbia
Nenad Simeunović Faculty of Technical Sciences University of Novi Sad Novi Sad, Serbia
ISSN 2522-5022 ISSN 2522-5030 (electronic) Lecture Notes on Multidisciplinary Industrial Engineering ISBN 978-3-030-97946-1 ISBN 978-3-030-97947-8 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Preface
The Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad organizes a Scientific Conference on Industrial Systems once in three years, with the following goals: – to bring together prominent researchers and practitioners from faculties, scientific institutes, and different enterprises or other organizations, – to enable presentation of new knowledge and exchange of practical experience in industrial systems engineering and management and – to propose theoretically developed and practically tested solutions for manufacturing and business improvements achieved in the period between two conferences. This was the 18th International Scientific Conference on Industrial Systems entitled Industrial Innovation in Digital Age hosted by the University of Novi Sad—Faculty of Technical Sciences—Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, from 7 to 9 October 2020. Conference covered different topics from the fields of industrial engineering, engineering management, information and communication systems, mechatronics, robotics and automation, quality, effectiveness, and logistics with over 100 submissions sent in. The scientific committee accepted 88 contributions of authors from different countries all over the world of which the final selection of the proceedings included 84 top-quality papers. All papers were reviewed by at least two members of the scientific committee, composed of renowned scientists specialized on the specific topics, whose work is deeply appreciated. During the conference, two keynote speakers held very interesting and valuable lectures: Professor Iztok Palčič from the University of Maribor, Slovenia— “Industry 4.0 Readiness Index” and Professor Feng Gengzhong from Xi’an Jiaotong University, China—“Future of management science and industrial engineering”. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this conference was held in combined mode—live and via the Cisco Webex platform, divided in 14 different sessions. Despite these new circumstances, the conference was very successful and very constructive, useful discussions were conducted at each session, and they were v
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mostly focused on the changes caused by the pandemic, as well as on predicting the directions after the pandemic. February 2021
Bojan Lalic Danijela Gracanin Nenad Simeunović Nemanja Tasic
Organization
Program Committee Aleksandar Rikalović Andraš Anderla Andrea Okanović Anrea Ivanišević Ben Herbst Biljana Ratković-Njegovan Boban Melović Bojan Jovanoski Bojan Lalić Bojana Jokanović Borut Buchmeister Branislav Borovac Branislav Jeremić Branislav Nerandžić Branislav Stevanov Burak Turhan Danijela Gračanin Danijela Lalić Darko Stefanović Djerdj Horvat Dragan Šešlija Dragoljub Šević Dragoslav Slović Dražan Kozak Dubravko Ćulibrk Dušan Dobromirov Dušan Jokanović
University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Stellenbosch, South Africa University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Montenegro, Montenegro Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, North Macedonia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Maribor, Slovenia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Kragujevac, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Oulu, Finland University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia Fraunhofer ISI, Germany University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Belgrade, Serbia University of Osijek, Croatia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of East Sarajevo, Republic of Srpska
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Dušan Šormaz Đorđe Ćelić Đorđe Ćosić Đorđe Pržulj Giovanni Belingardi Giovanni Mumolo Goran Šimunović Gordana Ostojić Iva Šiđanin Ivana Katić Iztok Palčič Jelena Borocki Jelena Ćulibrk Jelena Demko Rihter Jelena Spajić Jovan Filipović Kim Hua Tan Lars Medbo Laurentiu Vieriu Leposava Grubić-Nešić Ljiljana Popović Ljubica Duđak Marlene Amorim Michael Poli Miladin Stefanović Milan Delić Milovan Lazarević Milutin Nikolić Miran Brezočnik Mirko Raković Miroslav Miškić Mitar Jocanović Mladen Čudanov Mladen Pečujlija Mladen Radišić Nebojša Brkljač Nemanja Sremčev Nemanja Tasić Nenad Simeunović Niko Herakovič Nikola Gradojević Nikola Zivlak Peđa Milosavljević Petar Petrović Petar Vrgović
Organization
Ohio University, USA University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia Politecnico di Torino, Italy Politecnico di Bari, Italy University of Osijek, Croatia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Maribor, Slovenia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Belgrade, Serbia University of Nottingham, UK Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden University of Trento, Italy University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Aveiro, Portugal The Innovation University, Hoboken NJ, USA University of Kragujevac, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Maribor, Slovenia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Belgrade, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Ljubljana, Slovenia University of Guelph, Canada Emlyon Business School, France University of Niš, Serbia University of Belgrade, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia
Organization
Pierre Blazević Rado Maksimović Radojko Lukić Ranko Bojanić Slavica Mitrović-Veljković Slobodan Dudić Slobodan Morača Sonja Bunčić Sonja Ristić Srđan Sladojević Stevan Milisavljević Stevan Stankovski Uglješa Marjanović Veselin Perović Vesna Spasojević Brkić Vidosav Majstorović Vincent Hugel Vladimir Đaković Vukica Jovanović William Steingartner Xu Ming Yoshihiko Nakamura Zdravko Tešić Zoran Anišic Gengzhong Feng Željko Tekić
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University of Versailles, France University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Belgrade, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Belgrade, Serbia University of Belgrade, Serbia University of Versailles, France University of Novi Sad, Serbia Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA Technical University of Košice, Slovakia Donghua University, Shanghai, China The University of Tokyo, Japan University of Novi Sad, Serbia University of Novi Sad, Serbia Xi’an Jiaotong University, China Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Russia
Organizing Committee Chair Nenad Simeunović
University of Novi Sad, Serbia
Members Nemanja Tasić Danijela Gračanin Jelena Spajić Aleksandar Rikalović Nenad Medić Marko Penčić Marko Pavlović Goran Tepić Jelena Ćurčić
University University University University University University University University University
of of of of of of of of of
Novi Novi Novi Novi Novi Novi Novi Novi Novi
Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad,
Serbia Serbia Serbia Serbia Serbia Serbia Serbia Serbia Serbia
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Slavko Rakić Tanja Todorović Branislav Bogojević Dragana Gojić Nebojša Rudić
Organization
University University University University University
of of of of of
Novi Novi Novi Novi Novi
Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad,
Serbia Serbia Serbia Serbia Serbia
Contents
Quality Management and Innovation Performance: A Short Literature Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stana Vasic, Marina Zizakov, Milan Delic, Dusko Cuckovic, and Ilija Cosic Evolution of a Complex System and Construction of International Ecosystem for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Under the Background of BRI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zhigang Zhang and Yang Xu Social Media Advertising During the Pandemic: Online Retailers in Serbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Milić Bojana, Spajić Jelena, Bošković Dunja, and Lalić Danijela The Impact of Digitalization on Quality Management in Health Systems: New Challenges and Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christoph Szedlak, Marcus Branke, Jane Worlitz, Bert Leyendecker, and Ralf Woll Deduction of Digital Transformation Strategies from Maturity Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christoph Szedlak, Holger Reinemann, and Bert Leyendecker Design and Development of Medical Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lozica Ivanović, Milan Rackov, Blaža Stojanović, Marko Penčić, Maja Čavić, and Slavica Miladinović Shaping the Future of Serbia’s Economy: Impact of the Industry 4.0 Platform on Industrial Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vidosav Majstorović, Dragan Đuričin, and Radivoje Mitrović Integration of Game-Based Software Tools into Higher Education . . . . Danilo Nikolić, Dušanka Dakić, Aleksandra Kolak, Dajana Narandžić, and Anja Janković
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Improving the Reliability of Pneumatic Control Systems by Using Remotely-Controlled One-Way Flow Control Valve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vule Reljić, Želimir Trišić, Dragan Šešlija, and Ivana Milenković Toward Real-Time Data Analytics Application for Industry 4.0 . . . . . . Bojana Bajic, Nikola Suzic, Nenad Simeunovic, Slobodan Moraca, and Aleksandar Rikalovic Software Tools to Support Visualising Systematic Literature Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Darko Stefanovic, Sara Havzi, Ivana Spasojevic, Teodora Lolic, and Sonja Ristic Learning Environment Digital Transformation: Systematic Literature Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teodora Lolic, Darko Stefanovic, Rogério Dionisio, Dusanka Dakic, and Sara Havzi Overview of Application of Blockchain Technology in e-Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miroslav Stefanović, Đorđe Pržulj, and Sonja Ristić
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Technical Debt Payment Practices and Rationales Behind Payment Avoidance in the Serbian IT Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Robert Ramač, Nebojša Taušan, Sávio Freire, Nicolli Rios, Manoel G. de Mendonça Neto, Rodrigo Oliveira Spínola, and Vladimir Mandić The Path Towards Industry 4.0: A Comprehensive Methodology for Researching Serbian Manufacturing Industry: A Research Proposal . . . 111 Djerdj Horvat, Ugljesa Marjanovic, Marko Pavlovic, and Slavko Rakic Analysis of Influential Elements of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems . . . . . . 120 Jelena Raut, Slavica Mitrović Veljković, Boban Melović, Eda Ribarić Čučković, and Đorđe Ćelić Metal Artefact Reduction from CT Images Using Matlab . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Andrea Gutai, Dunja Sekulić, and Ivana Spasojević Improving the Energy Efficiency of Pneumatic Control Systems by Using Remotely-Controlled Pressure Regulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Vule Reljić, Petar Knežević, Dragan Šešlija, and Slobodan Dudić Optimization of the Number of Active Servers and Break Schedule: A Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Darko Čapko, Slavica Medić, Nedeljko Stojaković, and Tatjana Grbić The Validity of Adopting the Knowledge Management Strategy as a Development Policy of the University of Novi Sad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Julija Švonja
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Project Management Challenges in Implementing Agile Methods in Manufacturing SMEs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Fajsi Angela, Moraca Slobodan, and Milosavljevic Marko IoT-Based Delivery System in State of Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Srdjan Tegeltija, Gordana Ostojić, Ivana Šenk, Laslo Tarjan, and Stevan Stankovski Industry 4.0 Enablers: Implementation of Organizational Concepts as a Support for Technological Improvements of Manufacturing Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Tanja Todorovic, Nenad Medic, Zoran Anisic, Nemanja Tasic, Danijela Ciric, and Bojan Lalic Maintenance- and Strategic Physical Asset Management: Morphologies of Two Connate Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Oliver Schmiedbauer, Hans Thomas Maier, Florian Kaiser, and Hubert Biedermann Digital Marketing in China - Weibo and Fan Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Nikola Zivlak, Shiyuan Zhang, and Yueqi Shi Automating Multidimensional Security Compliance for Cloud-Based Industry 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Nikola Dalčeković, Goran Sladić, Nikola Luburić, and Milan Stojkov Integration of Value Stream Mapping and Discrete Event Simulation: A Case Study from Lean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Bojan Jovanoski, Robert Minovski, Marjan Todorov, Trajce Velkovski, and Bojan Jovanovski Trust in the Modern Organization: Success Factor in Open Innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Ana Nešić and Ivana Katić The Power of Media Message in Advertising of Medical Preparations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Iva Šiđanin and Milica Njegovan Foreign Direct Investment and Investment Environment: A Systematic Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Vladimir Djakovic, Mirjana Sujic Stamenic, Nebojsa Ralevic, Slobodan Radisic, and Jozef Kabok Foreign Direct Investments in Serbian Power Sector: A Discussion on Investments and Impact on Economic Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 Aleksandra Pavlović, Milica Njegovan, Andrea Ivanišević, Mladen Radišić, and Alpar Lošonc
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A Model for the Evaluation of the Information Processing Rate of Smart Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Salvatore Digiesi, Francesco Facchini, Andrea Lucchese, and Giovanni Mummolo Impact of Coronavirus COVID-19 Crisis on Insurance Industry of Serbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Marko Vuković and Djordje Ćosić Bank Controlling in Montenegro: Effects of the Pandemic Crisis on the Montenegrin Economy, Banking Sector and the Profitability of Banks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 Srdjan Jankovic Media and Sport: Mutual Benefit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 Biljana Ratković Njegovan, Sonja Bunčić, and Iva Šiđanin Lean Approach to Lead Time Reduction in MTO Manufacturing: A Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 Ivona Jovanović, Ivan Tomašević, Dragana Stojanović, Barbara Simeunović, and Dragoslav Slović The Outcomes of Lean Implementation in High-Mix/Low-Volume Industry – Literature Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 Ivan Tomašević, Dragana Stojanović, Barbara Simeunović, Ivona Jovanović, and Dragoslav Slović Evaluation of the Complexity of Cognitive-Oriented Tasks in Planned Maintenance Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 Andrea Lucchese, Antonella Marino, Giorgio Mossa, and Giovanni Mummolo A Procedural Model for Utilizing Case-Based Reasoning in After-Sales Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294 Martin Riester, Fazel Ansari, Michael Foerster, and Kurt Matyas On the Technical Debt Prioritization and Cost Estimation with SonarQube Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302 Andrej Katin, Valentina Lenarduzzi, Davide Taibi, and Vladimir Mandić Fundamentals of Integrated Risk Management Model in Business Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 Tamara Bojanić, Branislav Nerandžić, Branislav Stevanov, and Danijela Gračanin Collective Aspects of Capability-Based Innovating Firm . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 Alpar Lošonc, Andrea Ivanišević, Mladen Radišić, and Ivana Katić
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Data Literacy: An Essential Skill for the Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326 Manuel Leon-Urrutia, Davide Taibi, Vera Pospelova, Sergio Splendore, Laimute Urbsiene, and Ugljesa Marjanovic European Startup Ecosystem as a Star of Economic Development . . . . 332 Aleksandar Vekić, Jelena Borocki, Kristina Đorđić, and Olivera Cikota Digital Transformation Missing Ingredients: Data Literacy . . . . . . . . . . 340 Ugljesa Marjanovic, Davide Taibi, Pedro Cabral, Laimute Urbsiene, Agim Kasaj, and Susana M. Marques Startup Opportunities in South-East Europe Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 Aleksandar Vekić, Jelena Femić, Milica Tišma, and Marko Vrška Deep Autoencoder Based Leakage Detection in Water Distribution SCADA Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355 Nataša Radaković and Ivana Šenk Distance Learning in Higher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 Jelena Ćurčić, Anja Jakšić, Ksenija Mitrović, Jelena Spajić, and Branislav Bogojević The Impact of the Type of Education on Attitudes Regards Corporate Responsibility Towards Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369 Tatjana Savić-Šikoparija, Ljubica Duđak, and Tamara Bojanić Energy Flow Model in Industrial Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 Milena Rajic, Rado Maksimovic, Pedja Milosavljevic, and Dragan Pavlovic Illiquid Markets During the COVID – 19: Blessing or a Curse? . . . . . . 385 Miroslav Ferenčak, Dušan Dobromirov, and Mladen Radišić The Role of Logistics Controlling in Process Performance Measurement in Industrial Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391 Ranko Bojanic, Dalibor Jelicic, Veselin Perovic, and Branislav Nerandzic Identification of Safety Indicators in the Manufacturing Industry in Republic of North Macedonia and Their Impact on the Occupational Injury Lost Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399 Trajce Velkovski, Jasmina Chaloska, Vladimir Mučenski, Bojan Jovanoski, and Bojan Jovanovski Innovativeness of Micro and Small Enterprises – Are Their Innovation Drivers Different? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 Bojan Jovanovski, Radmil Polenakovik, Ivana Stankovska, Trajce Velkovski, and Bojan Jovanoski
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Responsible Research and Innovation in Industrial Systems – An Overview and Implications for Companies Who Strive to Work for and with Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417 Petar Vrgović, Branislav Stevanov, and Predrag Vidicki Analysis of the Prediction Quality of Technology Developments Based on Gartner Hype Cycles for Emerging Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 Benjamin Dorn, Julian Germani, Michael Geywitz, Manuel Remlinger, Felix Schuessler, and Juergen Seitz Characteristics of Organizational Culture that Supports Corporative Social Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433 Ljubica Duđak, Marija Pantelić, and Tatjana Savić-Šikoparija The Role of Chinese Investments in Central and Eastern Europe within BRI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 Djuradj Grubišić The Influence of the Project Mature Organization Factors on the Agile Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448 Mirjana Jokanović, Obrad Spaić, and Aleksandra Koprivica Individual and Organizational Knowledge as the Main Levers of Business in the Knowledge Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457 Ljubica Duđak, Leposava Grubić-Nešić, and Bojana Jokanović Optimization of Cutting Parameters for Surface Roughness in the Ball-End Milling Process Using Genetic Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465 Milenko Sekulić, Vlastmir Pejić, Marin Gostimirović, Dragan Rodić, and Anđelko Aleksić Process Mining in Public Procurement in Croatia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473 K. Rabuzin, N. Modrušan, S. Križanić, and R. Kelemen The Influence of COVID 19 Pandemic on Cogeneration Biogas Plant Operation - Business Impact Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481 Gorana Milinčić Stančić, Đorđe Ćosić, Ljiljana Popović, and Tanja Novaković Project Management Skillset Challenges in Industry 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . 489 Danijela Ciric, Marijana Topo, Danijela Gracanin, Angela Fajsi, and Miroslav Vujicic Possible Application of Service-Oriented Architecture in Domain of Land Administration System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496 Marko Bojkić, Đorđe Pržulj, and Miroslav Stefanović Evaluation of Impacts on Worker from Fixture Production with Life Cycle Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503 Boris Agarski, Djordje Vukelic, Milana Ilic Micunovic, and Igor Budak
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Fake News Detection on Social Networks – a Brief Overview of Methods and Approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510 Igor Kalin, Milan Mirković, and Aleksandra Kolak Multimodal Techniques and Methods in Affective Computing – A Brief Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518 Aleksandra Kolak, Milan Mirković, Danilo Nikolić, and Igor Kalin Business Process Management and E-Government Systems . . . . . . . . . . 526 Darko Stefanovic, Dusanka Dakic, and Aleksandar Ivic Business Process Management Improvement and a New Model for Performance Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535 Marko Gudelj, Sanja Cvijanović, Marina Zizakov, Zdravko Tešić, and Bogdan Kuzmanović Author Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 545
Quality Management and Innovation Performance: A Short Literature Review Stana Vasic , Marina Zizakov(B) , Milan Delic , Dusko Cuckovic , and Ilija Cosic Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21 000 Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship, and its nature, between quality management and innovation performance. Needless to say, quality management and innovation have the same purpose in the organization; they both provide continual improvement and sustainable development. A literature review was done, discussing the relationship between these two organizational aspects. The results suggest that the academic community is divided, concerning the positive nature of this relationship. However, the results of this study speak in favor of the positive findings, providing empirical evidence in supporting fostering power of quality management towards the development of innovation performance. Keywords: Quality management · Innovation · Innovation performance
1 Introduction In today’s competitive marketplace, organizations must effectively manage innovation performance to achieve positive results and ensure a competitive position [1–3]. To successfully achieve the goal, organizations should change their culture and have organizational support at the strategic level [4]. Many researchers consider quality management in the organization provides a suitable environment and conditions that lead to generating distinctive capabilities in different aspects of the organization, to employees be more flexible in responding to the changes in the environment, and develop process and product innovation [5–7]. However, some researchers advocate a positive link between quality management and innovation performance [7–12]. Others, instead, emphasize quality management does not reach the expected results [13–15]. Thus, the issue of quality management supporting an adequate environment and innovation culture remains conflicting. The main goal of this study is to examine the relationship between quality management and innovation performance. Also, the factors with a mediating influence between quality management and innovation performance are identified. A review of the literature based on Scopus shows that there is a lack of empirical studies conducted in the Republic of Serbia. Thus, our next goal is to explore constructs of quality management and innovation performance, and possible mediators, as a basis for future empirical research. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 1–8, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_1
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2 Research Methodology The research methodology in this paper builds upon a Systematic literature review (SLR). Firstly, the research questions were defined according to previously mentioned theoretical assumptions. These are: • RQ1: “What is the impact of quality management on innovation performance?” • RQ2: “What elements emerge as mediators in the relationship between quality management and innovation performance?” After that, we defined research keywords by research questions. The keywords were defined as follows: “QUALITY MANAGEMENT” OR “QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM” OR “*QM” OR “TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT” OR “ISO 9001” AND “INNOVATION PERFORMANCE.” These keywords were used to define search queries within the SCOPUS indexed database. The query has returned 83 papers (Fig. 1). In order to achieve more accurate results, the search query was redefined. The first phase of the search was performed on titles, abstracts, and keywords to the abovementioned “inclusion criteria” (Table 1). The redefinition of search results has re-turned 52 papers in total. Papers were then assessed by their title, abstract, and their content. Some papers were not related to the scope of review. Thus, we removed them from further analysis. Table 1. Inclusion and exclusion criteria I/E criteria
Sub-criteria
Criteria explanation
Inclusion criteria
Full-text papers (FTP)
Selected studies that are only abstracts, presentations or posters will not be included in the study
Language (LAN)
Full text of the article must be written in English
Time frame (TF)
Selected studies must be published between 2010–2020 to be included in the literature review
Selected studies (SS)
Studies included journal articles, conference papers
Subject area (SA)
“Engineering”, “Business, Management and Accounting”, “Decision Sciences”, “Social Sciences”
Non-related (NR)
NR1: Paper is not related to manufacturing organizations
Exclusion criteria
NR2: Paper is not based on empirical studies
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(i.e. “Non-related criteria” - Table 1) Finally, based on NR exclusion criteria (Table 1), out of 52, there were 30 papers retained. In the second phase, we removed six more papers. The reason that papers were excluded from the further analysis is that they were not technically available through portals and index databases, as well as accessible for downloads. Overall, 24 papers were subdued for detailed analysis.
Fig. 1. Flowchart of SLR
3 Results The results of the literature review are presented in this section. The papers are from academic journals, and all 24 are based on empirical research. In our results (Table 1) only empirical research is included. The papers are mostly from 2017 (25%) and 2019 (17%), while, there are slightly less papers from 2014, 2015 and 2018 (13%). Only 8% are from 2010 and 2016, while 4% of the papers are from 2011, 2012, 2020. The research originates mainly from Asia (54%), Europe (33%) and America (13%). It was conducted in the manufacturing industry. Most of the papers from Asia are from Malasia and India. In Europe, most of the studies are from Spain and Greece, and none from Serbia.
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The results concerning the constitutional factors of quality management and innovation performance are presented in Table 2 and Table 3. In Table 4 one of the mediators between quality management and innovation performance – knowledge management is presented. Table 2. Constructs for quality management Constructs
Literature
Leadership – 11*
Kafetzopoulos, D. et al. (2019), Zhou, F. et al. (2019), Anu P. Anil et al. (2019), Escrig-Tena, A.B. et al. (2018), Yusr, M.M. et al. (2017), Long, C.S. et al. (2015), D., Gotzamani, K. et al. (2015), Yusr, M.M. et al. (2014), Ooi, K.-B. et al. (2012), Hung, R.Y.Y. et al. (2011), Hung, R.Y.Y. et al. (2010)
Employee management – 10*
Kafetzopoulos, D. et al. (2019), Escrig-Tena, A.B. et al. (2018), Yusr, M.M. et al. (2017), Zeng, J. et al. (2017), Zeng, J. et al. (2015), Long, C.S. et al. (2015), Gotzamani, K. et al. (2015), Yusr, M.M. et al. (2014), Ooi, K.-B. et al. (2012), Hung, Y.R. et al. (2010)
Customer focus – 9*
Zhou, F. et al. (2019), Escrig-Tena, A.B. et al. (2018), Yusr, M.M. et al. (2017), Long, C.S. et al. (2015), Gotzamani, K. et al. (2015), Yusr, M.M. et al. (2014), Ooi, K.-B. et al. (2012), Hung, R.Y.Y. et al. (2011), Hung, R.Y.Y. et al. (2010)
Process management – 8*
Zhou, F. et al. (2019), Escrig-Tena, A.B. et al. (2018), Zeng, J. et al. (2017), Yusr, M.M. et al. (2017), Zeng, J. et al. (2015), Long, C.S. et al. (2015), Gotzamani, K. et al. (2015), Yusr, M.M. et al. (2014)
Quality planning – 5*
Escrig-Tena, A.B. et al. (2018), Zeng, J. et al. (2017), Zeng, J. et al. (2015), Gotzamani, K. et al. (2015), Yusr, M.M. et al. (2014)
Learning – 3*
Anu P. Anil et al. (2019), Escrig-Tena, A.B. et al. (2018), Zeng, J. et al. (2017), Zeng, J. et al. (2015),
Supplier management – 2*
Escrig-Tena, A.B. et al. (2018), Yusr, M.M. et al. (2017)
Information and analysis – 3* Zhou, F. et al. (2019), Gotzamani, K. et al. (2015), Ooi, K.-B. et al. (2012) Continuous improvement – 3* Anu P. Anil et al. (2019), Hung, R.Y.Y. et al. (2011), Hung, R.Y.Y. et al. (2010) * - number of papers.
For data processing, the researchers used SEM (Structural Equation Modeling), in most cases. By synthesizing the literature reviews’ empirical results, it was found that quality management does not always have a direct positive impact on innovation performance. For this reason, many papers involve mediators or place particular emphasis on certain factors that contribute to the positive relationship between quality management and innovation performance.
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Table 3. Constructs for innovation performance Constructs
Literature
Product innovation - 8* Kafetzopoulos, D. et al. (2019), Zhou, F. et al. (2019), Zeng, J. et al. (2017), K., Bin, C.S. et al. (2017), Long, C.S. et al. (2015), D., Gotzamani, K. et al. (2015), Ooi, K.-B. et al. (2012), Hung, R.Y.Y. et al. (2011) Process Innovation - 8* Kafetzopoulos, D. et al. (2019), Zhou, F. et al. (2019), K., Bin, C.S. et al. (2017), Long, C.S. et al. (2015), D., Gotzamani, K. et al. (2015), Ooi, K.-B. et al. (2012), Hung, R.Y.Y. et al. (2011), Hung, R.Y.Y. et al. (2010) * - number of papers.
Table 4. Constructs for knowledge management Constructs
Literature
Knowledge acquisition – 2*
Yusr, M.M. et al. (2017), Hung, Y.R. et al. (2010)
Knowledge dissemination – 2*
Yusr, M.M. et al. (2017), Hung, Y.R. et al. (2010)
Knowledge application – 2*
Yusr, M.M. et al. (2017), Hung, Y.R. et al. (2010)
* - number of papers.
3.1 Employee Proactive Behaviour and Employee Performance Leadership should involve employees in all improving process in organizations, and to give them to take the initiative to develop, create, and handle new ideas. Employees work their job every day, and they are the principal source to develop new ideas. Employees have direct contact with clients/costumers and suppliers, and they have all the information from them that could be implemented to develop product or process innovation [7]. Nevertheless, without leadership commitment and ethical human resource management practices, such as training, empowerment, or teamwork and promotion of proactive behavior among employees, innovation development is impossible [16, 17]. Employees should be awarded if they have new ideas and participated in continuous improvement to motivate them [12]. 3.2 Knowledge Management Quality management practices have a positive indirect influence on innovation performance by providing the necessary knowledge. Knowledge management additionally contributes to the positive impact with creation, acquisition, application, and dissemination knowledge between the employees and suppliers, to increase innovative abilities [7, 18, 19]. Knowledge, training, and learning are essential. They change employees’ attitudes and perspectives towards any organizational changes that facilitate the successful implementation of process and product innovation [12, 20].
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3.3 Organizational Culture and Context Management commitment, employee involvement, and empowerment, as well as motivation and learning, represent together organizational culture, which supports the development of innovation [21, 22]. Organizational culture should represent leadership who communicate with their employees and involve them in changes [23]. Well - developed human resource management which motivates employees, and organizes training, and in this way elevates the morale and confidence of employees. If employees have the necessary knowledge and skills, the work environment becomes more conducive to work and creation and implementation continuous improvement and innovations [24]. This culture encourages employees to work in a team, which helps promote knowledge creation and sharing, which further stimulates innovation [20]. The proposed research framework is presented in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2. Research framework
4 Conclusion This research confirms that only through top management practice of quality management, a suitable environment can be established. This way, employees are motivated, and a suitable environment for creating and sharing knowledge is provided, as well as continuous improvement and innovation performance. No improvement within the organization can be efficiently and effectively implemented without the commitment and knowledge of leadership and employees. The dimensions of key factors (Table 2, Table 3, Table 4) have been identified as a basis for future empirical research in Serbia. Furthermore, statistical methods will be established (SEM) in future work, by which the data will be processed. The literature review includes only papers from Scopus, and this is the limitation of the study. Thus, we propose including other index bases through our future research.
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References 1. Lebedova, T., Yakovlev, A., Kepp, N., Ikramov, R.: Possibilities and threats to TQM implementation in the innovation processes. In: IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 497 (2019) 2. Lee, V.H., Ooi, K.B., Choong, C.K.: Integrating TQM, organisational learning and technological innovation. Int. J. Innov. Learn. 13(1), 78–95 (2013) 3. Lalic, B., Medic, N., Delic, M., Tasic, N., Marjanovic, U.: Open Innovation in developing regions: an empirical analysis across manufacturing companies. Int. J. Ind. Eng. Manag. 8(3), 111–120 (2017) 4. Paulova, I., Vanova, J.: Change of the corporate culture in transforming of ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2014. J. Environ. Protect. Saf. Educ. Manag. 4(8), 100–104 (2017) 5. Perdomo-Ortiz, J., Gonza’lez-Benito, J., Galende, J.: Total quality management as a forerunner of business innovation capability. Technovation 26(10), 1170–1185 (2006) 6. Santos-Vijande, M.L., Álvarez-González, L.I.: Innovativeness and organizational innovation in total quality oriented firms: the moderating role of market turbulence. Technovation 27(9), 514–532 (2007) 7. Yusr, M.M., Mokhtar, S.S.M., Othman, A.R.: The effect of tqm practices on technological innovation capabilities: applying on Malaysian manufacturing sector. Int. J. Qual. Res. 8(2), 197–216 (2014) 8. Vujovi´c, A., Jovanovi´c, J., Krivokapi´c, Z., Sokovi´c, M., Kramar, D.: The relationship between innovations and quality management system. Tehnicki Vjesnik 24(2), 551–556 (2017) 9. Long, C.S., Abdul Aziz, M.H., Kowang, T.O., Ismail, W.K.W.: Impact of TQM practices on innovation performance among manufacturing companies in Malaysia. S. Afr. J. Ind. Eng. 26(1), 75–85 (2015) 10. Kafetzopoulos, D., Gotzamani, K., Gkana, V.: Relationship between quality management, innovation and competitiveness. Evidence from Greek companies. J. Manuf. Technol. Manag. 26(8), 1177–1200 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1108/JMTM-02-2015-0007 11. Leavengood, S., Anderson, T.R., Daim, T.U.: Exploring linkage of quality management to innovation. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excell. 25(9–10), 1126–1140 (2014) 12. Ooi, K.B., Lin, B., Teh, P.L., Chong, A.Y.L.: Does TQM support innovation performance in Malaysia’s manufacturing industry? J. Bus. Econ. Manag. 13(2), 366–393 (2012) 13. Singh, P.J., Smith, A.J.R.: Relationship between TQM and innovation: an empirical study. J. Manuf. Technol. Manag. 15(5), 394–401 (2004) 14. Bourke, J., Roper, S.: Innovation, quality management and learning: short-term and longerterm effects. Res. Policy 46(8), 1505–1518 (2017) 15. Cole, R.E., Matsumiya, T.: When the pursuit of quality risks innovation. TQM J. 20(2), 130–142 (2008) 16. Anil, A.P., Satish, K.P.: TQM practices and its performance effects – an integrated mode. Int. J. Qual. Reliab. Manag. 36(8), 1318–1344 (2019) 17. Escrig-Tena, A.B., Segarra-Ciprés, M., García-Juan, B., Beltrán-Martín, I.: The impact of hard and soft quality management and proactive behaviour in determining innovation performance. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 200, 1–14 (2018) 18. Hung, Y.R., Lien, Y.B., Fang, S.C., McLean, G.N.: Knowledge as a facilitator for enhancing innovation performance through total quality management. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excell. 21(4), 425–438 (2010) 19. Camisón, C., Puig-Denia, A.: Are quality management practices enough to improve process innovation? Int. J. Prod. Res. 54(10), 2875–2894 (2016) 20. Hung, R.Y.Y., Lien, B.Y.H., Yang, B., Wu, C.M., Kuo, Y.M.: Impact of TQM and organizational learning on innovation performance in the high-tech industry. Int. Bus. Rev. 20(2), 213–222 (2011)
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21. Rafailidis, A., Trivellas, P., Polychroniou, P.: The mediating role of quality on the relationship between cultural ambidexterity and innovatio performance. Total Qual. Manag. Bus. Excell. 28, 1134–1148 (2017) 22. Zeng, J., Zhang, W., Matsui, Y., Zhao, X.: The impact of organizational context on hard and soft quality management and innovation performance. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 185, 240–251 (2017) 23. Aghapour, A.H., Zailani, S., Kanapathy, K., Bin, C.S.: The impact of soft TQM and hard TQM on innovation performance: the moderating effect of organisational culture. Int. J. Prod. Qual. Manag. 20(4), 429 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPQM.2017.10003416 24. Lee, V.H., Ooi, K.B., Tan, B.I., Chong, A.Y.L.: A structural analysis of the relationship between TQM practices and product innovation. Asian J. Technol. Innov. 18(1), 73–96 (2010)
Evolution of a Complex System and Construction of International Ecosystem for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Under the Background of BRI Zhigang Zhang(B)
and Yang Xu
No. 951 Jianchuan Road, Shanghai, China [email protected]
Abstract. Confronted with difficulties and challenges throughout the world, humankind is inclined to collaborate due to the limited capability of each. The collaboration is the DNA of homo sapiens, which ensures the sustainable development of humanity. All human beings, institutions and resources can be considered as the nodes. One node itself cannot develop properly without any interaction with others. The society of human beings is a complex system supported by all the nodes interacting with others. The purpose of interaction and collaboration among all the nodes or the complex systems is to create values for each participant and preserve the public interests. The complex system or super one is growing intensified and its boundary enlarged endlessly due to the constant interactions. Therefore, the global collaboration in innovation and entrepreneurship is essential to each player’s business growth as it gathers all the resources, facilitates technology transfers, and provides access to new markets. Besides, inspired by the Belt and Road Initiative, the institutions from Eurasian countries have cofounded the International Ecosystem for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IEIE) in the purpose of resourcing, matchmaking and technology transfer. Under the framework of IEIE, neoBay has been devoting itself to the development of IEIE’s online platform, and IEIE has so far organized three sessions of online events entitled IEIE | Think Tank, having attracted lots of participants in innovation and entrepreneurship across the globe. It has also proposed its initial operation mechanism. In the future, resourcing, matchmaking and technology transfer among IEIE members will be startup-oriented, realized through digitalization and global networking, and featured by large quantity, flexibility and decentralization. Keywords: Collaboration · Nodes · Complex system · Folding · Ecosystem · Flexibility · Digitalization · Global networking · Decentralization
1 Introduction Human history is our collective memory full of challenges, questioning, researching and opportunities. To address the common problems encountered by humanity, homo © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 9–15, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_2
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sapiens choose to collaborate, finding different ways to eliminate troubles and gain prosperity opportunities. Why are human beings social animals? How can we mobilize the resources on a large scale to create value? This paper attempts to contribute our answers to these questions through our understanding of collaboration as homo sapiens’ DNA, our proposition of complex system to intensify resource accumulation, case study on neoBay Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Community as well as the construction of IEIE with our international partners under the background of the Belt and Road Initiative.
2 Collaboration, a Core Factor for the Development of Humanity 2.1 Inspiration from the Great Leap Forward Due to the Cognitive Revolution of Homo Sapiens According to Harari (2015: 3), homo sapiens used to be a kind of species with no significance like other homo species. Despite limited physical performance in competition with other homos (ex: Neanderthals), our ancestors succeeded to survive facing up to all the harsh natural conditions while the others came into extinction. The reason is that “social cooperation is our key for survival and reproduction” (Harari 2015: 26), which was empowered by the Cognitive Revolution. Consciously or unconsciously, each human being collaborates with others without knowing about others’ personalities or backgrounds as the motif for collaboration is initialized by the common idea, ideology, belief, vision, motivation, perspectives or objectives. Motivated by the sharing “story” told and accepted by all, homo sapiens are involved in the flexible mass-cooperation to address all the worldly difficulties, as “imagination was building astounding networks of mass cooperation, unlike any other ever seen on earth” (Harari 2015: 115), which is a great leap forward influencing all the generations of human beings. 2.2 Humankind’s Collaboration to Cope with Worldly Difficulties Human history is made of a series of historical events which mostly represent the worldly difficulties and human beings’ struggle to address them. The question is how human beings can cope with all the global challenges even though resources are found limited. The answer is collaboration beyond geographic limit and especially global collaboration to accumulate the resources that allow for handling a specific challenge and solving a concrete problem. By doing that, we can increase the probability of survival, ensuring the sustainable development of an institution and even humanity.
3 Evolution of a Complex System 3.1 Interacting Nodes Inside/Beyond a Complex System and a Super-Complex System All the resources across a region, a country or the whole world, regardless of their dispersive distribution, are the elementary particles interacting with one and another,
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contributing to the continuing increase in complexity at different levels to ensure their sustainable development, which is the fundamental feature of social development. All kinds of complex systems are the networks consisting respectively of many interacting nodes. The interactions between the internal nodes make the complex system as a whole to exhibit certain functions and interact with the outside world through outside nodes. This system can be an enterprise, a social organization or a country. Furthermore, we could take the whole world as a super-complex system composed of numerous interacting complex systems. 3.2 Evolution of a Complex System The evolution of complex systems can be seen as the process of the interconnection and interaction of nodes in the system, that is, the process of system folding. The process of making the distance between nodes smaller and smaller can be called folding. The folding at all levels is the fundamental driving force for system evolution. In complex system evolution, the nodes in the system are coupled and coordinated at different levels of material, energy, information, cognition, decision-making and execution, and the whole progress is after a growing pyramid model. As shown in Fig. 1, the collaboration of nodes in the high level system depends on the ability of the collaboration of the lower level. Only when efficient cooperation is formed at all levels can the system evolve into a perfect life system. A life system should be sustainable over some time. As the environment changes, the cooperative relationship between the living system’s internal nodes changes, and the self-consistency, self-adaptive ability and flexibility of the system also change.
Decision
Information Energy
Growth direction
Cognition
Material
Fig. 1. The pyramid model for the evolution of complex systems
4 Resourcing and Matchmaking Through an Ecosystem for Sustainable Development Resourcing and matchmaking through an ecosystem are the conventional methods to accumulate the resources for the sustainable growth of startups. In the past five years,
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neoBay Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Community has succeeded to incubate more than 670 startups. More than 470 of them have acquired their business license, Thanks to the close collaboration among three partners, such as Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Land Group (an industrial real estate in Shanghai) and People’s Government of Minhang District, neoBay has built up an “arrow” connecting academia and industry by offering the resources. The “arrow” is an Incubation/Acceleration process supported by an ecosystem. neoBay has been devoting itself to accessing the startups to venture capital, which is more than 1 billion RMB. Besides, startups’ connection with big multinational corporates is one of neoBay’s first concerns. In November 2018, Sodexo, a world leader in Quality of life services, announces that its strategic venture capital vehicle, Sodexo Ventures, has invested in AEYE-GO, a Chinese technology startup incubated at neoBay which focuses on smart visual checkout systems empowered by AI technology (Sodexo Venture n.d.)
5 Idea of International Ecosystem for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IEIE) Enlightened by BRI 5.1 New Opportunities Brought About by Belt and Road Initiatives The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a program to “connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land and maritime networks along six corridors to improve regional integration, increasing trade and stimulating economic growth.” (EBRD n.d.). It connects “two of the world’s largest economies, China and Europe. The route will emerge as a major logistics corridor and create new opportunities for Central Asia and Eastern Europe as both a transshipment hub and commodities supplier” (Wong and Jia 2017). There are new opportunities brought about by BRI. For example, Chinese startups will benefit from the improvement in infrastructure across the BRI region; The potential market in terms of electronics, internet and real estate, rising middle-class and established distribution networks will be the perfect opportunities for Chinese startups and big corporates to develop their business aboard; BRI will accelerate Chinese acquisitions of European industrial technologies; BRI will benefit electronics and technology products: Investments in power and ICT will boost the BRI region’s demand for Chinese electronics and technology products, such as smartphones and increasing Internet of Things; (Wong and Jia 2017). 5.2 Brief Introduction to International Ecosystem for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IEIE) Inspired by the idea of complex system and its evolution, with the willingness to bring about the contribution to “the Belt and Road Initiative”, neoBay and other institutions, such as the universities, the incubators, the science parks from East Europe and South East Asia co-initialized International Ecosystem for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IEIE) in Belgrade, Serbia on the occasion of the Fourth China-CEEC Conference on Innovation Cooperation on 09th October 2019. Based on equality and double-win principles, IEIE is designed to resource sharing, technology transfer, co-incubation, and matchmaking in the international market, aiming
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to establish a sustainable and reciprocal complex system, which enrolled 9 institutional members from different countries on the date of its foundation. 5.3 IEIE Development and Its First Results Increase of Number of IEIE Members. Regardless of the Pandemic breakout during the first quarter of 2020, IEIE has been keeping its growth in the number of members by enrolling Ming Innovation (German incubator headquartered in Kaiserslautern), emlyon business school (a French business school with its campus across the globe) and Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Singapore Management University. Development of the IEIE Online Platform. Meanwhile, neoBay is devoted to the development of the IEIE online platform in favor of IEIE membership acquisition, resource searching, matchmaking and technology transfer. The users’ IDs on this online platform are categorized as Secretary-General, IEIE Website Administrator, IEIE Members, Institutions and Visitors (Ordinary internaut), each of whom has different priorities on this website. IEIE online platform’s significance is to bring together all the IEIE members, resources that they are willing to share, announcements of IEIE online & offline events and the news in terms of research findings, collaboration and significant events, etc. In other words, IEIE takes advantage of Internet technology to accumulate all the resources dispersing temporally and spatially to build up a complex system, shortening the distance between the nodes by folding their coupling (ex: IEIE members, other institutions non-enrolled in IEIE, individuals), densifying the distribution of resources in innovation and entrepreneurship and setting up the collaborative mechanism with no boundary and accessible to all. Organization of IEIE | Think Tank. In addition, IEIE has so far organized the three sessions of IEIE | Think Tank with other IEIE members. The topic for the first session is “The World after the Pandemic”, which was discussed around various aspects such as digitalization, innovation, supply chain and ecosystem. The second session is about “Idea, strategy, technology and business plan to address new challenges”. The third one is relevant to student entrepreneurship. These series of online events have attracted nearly around 260 attendees, most of whom are students, professors, entrepreneurs and executives of big corporates worldwide. Proposition of IEIE Operation Mechanism. The first IEIE delegation meeting has proposed the four proposals for IEIE operation mechanism, which concern Contact Person - connector between each IEIE member and IEIE ecosystem as a whole for communicating, informing and coordinating, IEIE Passport – allowing all the startups attached to each member to access all the resources coordinated by IEIE, Improvement of Think Tank organization and Division of missions and task assignment. To democratize decision, IEIE highlights participation of all the members through the procedure of inquiring, collecting, questioning, and analyzing the ideas and the suggestions from all the members around these four proposals with a mindset of objectivity.
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5.4 IEIE’s Perspective for the Future The future of IEIE will base on the following pillars serving all the IEIE members across the globe. Startup-Oriented Service in Favor of Their Resourcing and Matchmaking. One of the essential missions of IEIE members is serving the startups. Therefore, the startups’ first concerns and their sustainable growth would be the goals of resourcing and matchmaking in IEIE. Market-Oriented Technology Transfer. The significance of discovery in science and technology is related to its application, and the correspondence between the core technology and its market segment would be the priority of technology transfer. Digitalization and Global Networking. Initialized by the idea that IT and AI could eventually replace a massive amount of repeated tasks previously undertaken by human beings, digitalization would be the first necessity in IEIE’s operation, and it could further contribute to IEIE’s global networking. Large Quantity, Flexibility and Decentralization. All the activities regarding resourcing, matchmaking, technology transfer and event co-organization should be in large quantity. All the coupling and collaborations should be realized flexibly and in a decentralized modality, ensuring IEIE’s self-consistency and self-adaptive ability to the ever-changing outside environment.
6 Future Research and Possible Limitations 6.1 Research Orientation in the Future Based on IEIE’s perspective for the future as well as the current suggestions from IEIE members, the future research lies in the following issues. As IEIE is a startup-oriented and worldwide ecosystem, how can IEIE define the relationship among the startup/entrepreneur attached to an IEIE member (Level 1), the IEIE member (Level 2) and the IEIE as a whole (Level 3) through the operation mechanism of IEIE Passport? Even if IEIE is an open ecosystem, the boundary should be taken into account to improve the efficiency of its operation mechanism. In other words, what kind of entrepreneurial projects and new technologies can be classified into the IEIE ecosystem in accordance with the existing resources and the circumstances? As each IEIE has its own network/sub-ecosystem, how can IEIE integrate each sub-ecosystem around each into IEIE as a whole in a decentralized and flexible modality? 6.2 The Possible Limitations The possible limitations in future research concerns: Sample Bias. Does the information contributed by each IEIE member cover the whole situation of the local market, the demand of the startups in that country, etc.? Research Method. Can the current method in terms of inquiring, collecting, questioning and analyzing really reveal the truth? Any other possible methods to adopt?
Evolution of a Complex System and Construction of International Ecosystem
15
7 Conclusion As mentioned at the beginning of this paper, homo sapiens collaborate under the common belief to address worldly problems thanks to the Cognitive Revolution. Given complex system evolution, the mindset for interactions among different nodes, folding and system creation is indispensable in innovation and entrepreneurship. The rapid growth of neoBay Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Community in the past five years proves the significance of collaboration, folding and ecosystem, these three factors favoring not only the startups incubated but also neoBay itself. With its global vision and under the background of the Belt and Road Initiative, neoBay co-founded with its international partners the International Ecosystem for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IEIE), the objectives of which are resourcing, matchmaking and technology transfer with perspectives of startup-oriented services, market-oriented technology transfer, digitalization and global networking. Together, we will build up a global collaborative mechanism featured by large quantity, flexible and decentralized modality. Nevertheless, global collaborations in innovation and entrepreneurship are not confined only to our methods. Therefore, other ideas, methodologies and even various effective ways in global collaboration via ecosystem will be studied, questioned, analyzed, reasoned, applied and appreciated.
References Harari, Y.N.: Sapiens A Brief History of Humankind, 1st edn. Vintage, London (2015) Sodexo Ventures. https://sodexo-ventures.com/post/test-post-test-test. Accessed 28 June 2020 EBRD. https://www.ebrd.com/what-we-do/belt-and-road/overview.html. Accessed 28 June 2020 Wong, A.A., Jia, S.: Belt & Road: Opportunity & Risk, The Prospects and Perils of Building China’s New Silk Road, Maker McKenzie (2017)
Social Media Advertising During the Pandemic: Online Retailers in Serbia Mili´c Bojana(B)
, Spaji´c Jelena , Boškovi´c Dunja , and Lali´c Danijela
Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovi´ca 6, Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. With the global spread of COVID-19 in the first half of 2020 and new government measures introduced on almost daily basis, people living in Serbia were experiencing changes in their everyday life, including their shopping habits. Organizations were facing a potential economy crisis, but also changing customer attitudes and behaviors. In this paper, social media advertising of online shops during COVID-19 pandemic of Serbia’s top 10 retail companies based on their total number of retail shops is examined. The mixed method approach was used. First, it was determined whether these retail brands previously had online shops, or online shops were opened in response to the crisis. Quantitative data about ecommerce website traffic was examined with SimilarWeb tool, while qualitative data about advertising on social media was collected from Facebook Pages and Facebook Ads Library (total of 493 Facebook posts and 138 Facebook ads). The results suggest that increase in online shops’ website traffic in April and May can be interpreted as a reaction of customers who were not able to go shopping at the time of crisis. By publishing content that primarily promotes their brand values, online retailers missed the opportunity to use social media as a communication channel to raise awareness about the benefits of online shopping, so that customers who started to shop online due to the crisis, would continue to buy groceries online even after quarantine ended. Serbian retail brands during this crisis relied on existing online shopping users and their electronic word-of-mouth marketing. Keywords: Social media advertising · Online shopping · COVID-19
1 Introduction The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. It was declared a pandemic by World Health Organization on March 11, 2020 [1]. As the COVID-19 pandemic began to flare up, a number of countries have implemented firm measures to fight the further spread of the disease. Restrictions such as curfew, lockdowns, as well as nationwide lockdowns were established and many people were spending time in quarantine and are being asked to keep social distance [2]. The first coronavirus case in Serbia was confirmed on March 6. Serbia responded on March 11, by restricting entry for foreign countries that were coming from countries affected with intensive coronavirus transmission. On March 16, the state of emergency © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 16–23, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_3
Social Media Advertising During the Pandemic
17
was declared and four days later the borders were closed. The 24-h curfew for residents over 65 in urban areas and 70 in rural areas was introduced on March 18, and the mandatory curfew for all residents from 8 pm to 5 am. The mandatory curfew was extended on March 22 - from 5 pm to 5 am [3]. With new Government measures introduced on almost daily basis, people were experiencing changes in their everyday life, as well as their habits. On the other hand, organizations were facing potential economy crisis, but also with changing customer attitudes and behaviors. As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Serbia rose exponentially, interest for the search term “online shopping” (in Serbian: “online kupovina”) showed the similar trend [4].
2 Social Media Advertising and Online Shopping The expansion of Web 2.0 at the beginning of the millennium enabled emergence of new websites and web applications based on new possibilities for interactivity, online communication and collaboration. The group of web-based applications that are established on foundations of Web 2.0 and allow creation, distribution and exchange of content generated by users is defined as social media [5]. The following emergence of social media changed not only business-to-consumer, but also consumer-to-consumer communication, allowing consumers to connect and communicate directly, regardless of geographic distance. Keeping this in mind, some authors began to consider social media as a hybrid element of the traditional promotional mix [6]. Differences between traditional and social media advertising spent have been argued. In traditional marketing, the media budget is divided into various media channels that deliver messages directly to customers, while in social media marketing messages are delivered to customers who continue to spread this brand-related content [7]. Different studies investigated shopping intentions on social media. Mikalef et al. found that browsing intention on social media is significantly positively connected with purchasing and word-of-mouth intention, confirming that social media can be successfully used in marketing strategy, resulting in increased sales [8]. Other study pointed out that, while browsing social media, consumers are in the state of constant consideration of potential purchase and evaluation of different providers of goods and services [9]. Zhang et al. investigated the connection between usage of social media and shopping activity. They found out that greater cumulative usage of social media sites is positively associated with online shopping activities [10]. Vithayathil et al. [11] investigated the associations between social media use at home and online shopping preferences in popular retail companies. These authors found out that use of Facebook at home is positively associated with online shopping at Amazon, while Twitter usage is positively associated with online shopping at Best Buy.
3 Method In this paper, social media advertising of online shops during COVID-19 pandemic is analyzed through: (1) estimated total website traffic, (2) estimated website traffic coming from specific sources and (3) the content of Facebook posts and Facebook ads.
18
M. Bojana et al.
The research questions are: • RQ1: Did traffic to retailer brand’s online shops increased during the peak of COVID19 pandemic? • RQ2: Did online retailers successfully used social media advertising in order to increase online shop website traffic? Exploratory research approach was used, while both primary and secondary data was examined. 3.1 Data Collection In the first step, top 10 retail companies in Serbia were identified based on the total number of stores in 2018: (1) Delhaize (Maxi, Tempo, Shop&Go), (2) Mercator-S (Mercator, Idea, Roda, VELPRO), (3) Aman, (4) Gomex, (5) TSV Brave (TSV), (6) BB Trade (PerSu), (7) Podunavlje AD (Podunavlje), (8) Mikromarket, (9) Univerexport and (10) Transkom 94 [12]. Secondly, it is determined whether these retail brands previously had online shops or online shops were opened in response to the crisis. Retail company’s websites were analyzed and it is noted that only 50% of top ten retail companies had online shops: Maxi, Idea, PerSu, Mikromarket and eLakolije. Maxi, Idea and eLakolije had online shops before pandemic, while PerSu and Mikromarket were opened in response to the crisis. In the following step, quantitative data about e-commerce website traffic was collected and examined with SimilarWeb platform (www.similarweb.com). This is a benchmarking tool that uses multi-dimensional approach. It combines partnerships, public data sources, anonymous behavioral data and first-party direct measurement that provides market intelligence and ready-to-use insights about website traffic. The following variables were examined: (1) total number of visitors – estimated number of visits from all traffic sources; (2) direct traffic – estimated number of visits that arrived directly on a website; (3) referral traffic – estimated number of visits coming from other domains; (4) search traffic – estimated number of visits directed from search engines; (5) social traffic – estimated number of visits that originated on social media websites; (6) mail traffic – estimated number of visits driven to a website via e-mail marketing campaign. Qualitative data about advertising on social media was collected from retailer’s Facebook Pages and Facebook Ads Library. The total of 493 Facebook posts and 138 Facebook and Instagram ads were examined. Facebook posts and Facebook ads were categorized based on their content. As suggested by Cvijikj et al., in order to remove bias from different interpretation of post content, the post categorization has been executed by a single researcher, while two additional researchers discussed the final categories [13]. Facebook posts and ads were categorized in the following groups: (1) online shopping – posts that feature or include link to the online shop; (2) product – posts that feature or promote a specific product; (3) offer – posts that feature promotional offer of discounts; (4) company info – posts that feature information about company; (5) CSR –posts that feature corporate social responsibility activities; (6) COVID-19 info –posts and that feature information such as changed work hours, special measures etc. (7) COVID-19 advice – posts that feature advice on good practices to combat epidemic; (8) Stay at
Social Media Advertising During the Pandemic
19
home – posts with creative ideas for people in quarantine; (9) Giveaway – posts that promote giveaways and prize pools. Data collection and analysis for Facebook posts was executed from March through June 2020 by examining retail brands’ Facebook Pages, while monitoring for Facebook and Instagram ads was executed daily in April 2020 with Facebook Ads Library.
4 Results Descriptive statistics was used to present the basic features of data collected in this research: website data of online shops and Facebook posts and ads analysis. 4.1 Website Traffic Analysis Website data was collected with SimilarWeb platform and the traffic data on desktop is presented in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1. Total number of visitors to online shops from February to June 2020.
For PerSu and Mikromarket websites there was no sufficient data for SimilarWeb to perform traffic estimation. This is expected given that the two websites were launched only a month before this research was conducted. The results show that all three online shops recorded increase in website traffic in March 2020. Maxi had the highest number of total visits followed by Idea and eLakolije. Maxi and Idea online shops showed a slight increase in website traffic in April, while eLakolije had traffic decrease. Examined websites showed traffic decrease from April that continued through June 2020. The traffic source analysis (Table 1) indicate that marketing strategies of all online shops are focused primarily on Search with more that 50% of traffic coming from that channel, followed by Direct traffic. Social media sources have less than 5% share in total traffic. Social media traffic is detailed in Table 2. Maxi and Idea get their social media traffic mostly from Facebook (over 70%), followed by YouTube. On the other hand eLakolije gets over 50% from YouTube, followed by Facebook (40%). Instagram and Twitter are not generating significant traffic for these online shops (less than 2%).
20
M. Bojana et al. Table 1. Online shop traffic sources on desktop devices Direct
Referrals
Search
Social
Mail
28.53%
0.95%
64.18%
2.41%
0.25%
Idea
14.91%
12.07%
70.10%
0.32%
0.75%
PerSu
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Mikromarket
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
eLakolije
38.41%
3.12%
53.31%
2.98%
2.18%
Maxi
Table 2. Online shop social media traffic sources on desktop devices Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Twitter
Maxi
83.83%
0.12%
16.05%
0.00%
Idea
74.77%
0.00%
25.23%
0.00%
PerSu
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Mikromarket
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
eLakolije
42.32%
1.73%
55.28%
0.66%
4.2 Facebook Post and Ads Analysis Facebook post analysis gave us an insight into retail brands’ social media communication strategy during COVID-19 pandemic peak in Serbia (Table 3). Maxi Facebook page has 257.732 likes (as of July, 2020). In March 2020, Maxi had the largest number of posts in COVID-19 info and Product categories. During April, Maxi’s strategy focused on creative Stay at home posts, COVID-19 info and CSR activities. In May, Maxi focused on Product posts. The total of 2 posts about online shopping were published. Maxi published the average of 0.77 posts per day. Idea Facebook page has 161.187 likes (as of July, 2020). In March 2020, Idea had the largest number of posts in Product and COVID-19 info categories. During April, Idea’s strategy focused dominantly on Stay at home posts and CSR activities. In May, Idea focused on Product posts, but on Stay at home posts as well. On March 25, the pick-up feature was introduced, and the partnership with Glovo delivery app was launched on April 30. The total of 14 posts about online shopping were published. Idea published the average of 2.03 posts per day. PerSu Facebook page has 58.421 likes (as of July, 2020). In March 2020, PerSu had the largest number of posts in COVID-19 info and Offer categories. During April, PerSu’s strategy focused dominantly on COVID-19 info and Offer categories. In May, PerSu focused primarily on Offer posts. On April 15, home delivery was introduced, while online shop was launched on May 1. The total of 3 posts about online shopping were published. PerSu published the average of 1.16 posts per day. Mikromarket Facebook page has 5.944 likes (as of July, 2020). In March 2020, Mikromarket had the largest number of posts in Offer and CSR categories. During April,
Social Media Advertising During the Pandemic
21
Mikromarket’s strategy focused on Offer, COVID-19 info and Online shopping. In May, Mikromarket published few posts from Product, Offer and Company info categories. Online shop was launched on April 6. From The total of 2 posts about online shopping were published. Mikromarket published the average of 0.26 posts per day, during the three-month period. Facebook page eLakolije has 95.952 likes (as of July, 2020). From March to the end of April 2020, eLakolije had the largest number of posts in Product, COVID-19 info, Stay at home categories and the total of 4 posts about online shopping feature were published. It is important to mention that eLakolije also published post about delivery delays due to a reduced number of delivery time slots. Online shop eLakolije published the average of 0.26 posts per day. Table 3. Facebook posts by post category (March-June) Maxi
Idea
PerSu
Mikromarket
eLakolije
Month | Post type
03
04
05
03
04
05
03
04
05
03
04
05
03
04
05
Online shopping
1
0
1
1
6
7
0
1
2
0
2
0
1
0
3
Product
5
4
10
12
2
25
5
1
6
0
0
2
9
7
17
Offer
1
0
0
3
0
3
8
9
15
5
3
2
2
1
5
Company info
1
1
2
2
3
1
2
7
3
1
0
2
0
2
7
CSR
1
5
0
1
9
2
7
1
0
4
0
0
1
6
0
COVID-19 info
8
6
0
11
4
2
10
12
2
0
2
1
6
8
0
COVID-19 advice
1
0
0
4
2
0
2
0
1
0
0
0
2
3
1
Stay at home
1
16
4
5
66
15
1
8
2
0
0
0
3
16
0
Giveaway
3
0
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
22
32
17
40
92
55
37
39
31
10
7
7
28
43
33
Total:
Furthermore, Facebook and Instagram ads analysis gave us insight about focus of paid social media strategy during COVID-19 pandemic peak in Serbia (Table 4). The largest number of ads were placed by Maxi and eLakolije. Maxi’s ad strategy was focused on Online shopping and Product promotion, while eLakolije focused on promoting Company info. Idea and eLakolije had no ads about online shopping during the research period.
22
M. Bojana et al. Table 4. Facebook and Instagram ads by post category (March-June) Maxi
Idea
PerSu
Mikromarket
eLakolije
FB
Insta
FB
Insta
FB
Insta
FB
Insta
FB
Insta
Online shopping
14
3
0
0
1
2
1
1
0
0
Product
14
15
2
1
1
3
0
0
5
8
Offer
4
2
4
2
0
0
1
1
8
6
Company info
5
3
0
0
0
2
2
1
22
7
CSR
0
0
4
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
COVID-19 info
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
COVID-19 advice
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Stay at home
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Giveaway
2
1
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
Total ads
63
16
11
7
41
Total placements*
63
17
11
7
56
*One ad can have placement both on Facebook and Instagram.
5 Discussion The results of this study gave us valuable insight into how the biggest Serbian retailers promoted online shopping on their social media during COVID-19 pandemic in response to consumers’ lifestyle change. Reports from The Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia from 2019 state that around 60% of Serbian citizens use Internet, but only 30% experienced online shopping [14]. During COVID-19 pandemics, the number of first-time Internet shoppers increased up to 30% (www.netokracija.rs). This observed increase in online shop’s website traffic in April and May can be interpreted as a reaction of customers who were not able to go shopping due to long lines at stores and shortened working hours. This conclusion is also confirmed by following decline in website traffic in June, when restrictions regarding the number of persons that were allowed in the store were lifted, and working hours were extended. The results also suggest that online retailers adjusted social media plans by publishing content that primarily promoted their brand values. The relatively small number of posts and ads in online shopping category, as well as the largest part of traffic coming from Search and Direct sources, indicate that Serbian retail brands rely on existing online shopping users and their electronic word-of-mouth marketing. Online retailers missed the opportunity to use social media as a communication channel to raise awareness about the benefits of online shopping, so that customers who started to shop online due to the crisis, would continue to buy groceries online even after quarantine
Social Media Advertising During the Pandemic
23
ended. During the time of crisis, only brands that promptly respond and adapt to changing conditions will emerge with less consequences than others. Innovativeness is very often seen as an important part of many brands’ mission and vision statements so, in these challenging times, brand evolution becomes an imperative. At the end, it is important to emphasize methodological limitations of this paper that rise from the lack of available data. This research was conducted on secondary data based on estimations of website traffic, but insight into primary data collected directly on the websites would be more reliable.
References 1. World Health Organization. https://who.sprinklr.com/. Accessed 13 Apr 2020 2. International Labor Organization, COVID-19 and the world of work. https://www.ilo.org/glo bal/topics/coronavirus/country-responses/. Accessed 13 Apr 2020 3. The Government of the Republic of Serbia, COVID-19 news. https://www.srbija.gov.rs/sek cija/en/151926/covid-19.php. Accessed 13 Apr 2020 4. Google Trends. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=RS&q=online%20kupovina. Accessed 21 June 2020 5. Mangold, W.G., Faulds, D.J.: Social media: the new hybrid element of the promotion mix. Bus. Horiz. 52(4), 357–365 (2009) 6. Kaplan, A.M., Haenlein, M.: Users of the world, unite! the challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Bus. Horiz. 53(1), 59–68 (2010) 7. Weinberg, B.D., Pehlivan, E.: Social spending: managing the social media mix. Bus. Horiz. 54(3), 275–282 (2011) 8. Mikalef, P., Giannakos, M., Pateli, A.: Shopping and word-of-mouth intentions on social media. J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 8(1), 17–34 (2013) 9. Powers, T., Advincula, D., Austin, M.S., Graiko, S., Snyder, J.: Digital and social media in the purchase decision process. J. Advert. Res. 52(4), 479–489 (2012) 10. Zhang, Y., Trusov, M., Stephen, A.T., Jamal, Z.: Online shopping and social media: friends or foes? J. Mark. 81(6), 24–41 (2017) 11. Vithayathil, J., Dadgar, M., Kalu Osiri, J.K.: Int. J. Inf. Manag. (2020). https://doi.org/10. 1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102117 12. Republic of Serbia, Commission for protection of competition, Report on the Sector Inquiry into Retail Market in the Period 2017–2018. http://www.kzk.gov.rs/kzk/wp-content/uploads/ 2020/01/REPORT-on-the-retail-sector-inquiry-into-the-sale-in-non-specialized-stores-withfood-beverages-and-tobacco-predominating-2017-%E2%80%93-2018-Redacted-version. pdf. Accessed 21 June 2020 13. Cvijikj, I.P., Spiegler, E.D., Michahelles, F.: The effect of post type, category and posting day on user interaction level on Facebook. In: IEEE Third International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust 2011, pp. 810–813. IEEE (2011) 14. Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Usage of information and communication technologies in the Republic of Serbia (in Serbian only) (2020)
The Impact of Digitalization on Quality Management in Health Systems: New Challenges and Opportunities Christoph Szedlak1(B) , Marcus Branke2 , Jane Worlitz2 , Bert Leyendecker1 , and Ralf Woll2 1 University of Applied Sciences Koblenz, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 56075 Koblenz, Germany
[email protected] 2 Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Siemens-Halske-Ring 14,
03046 Cottbus, Germany
Abstract. Developed countries face a twofold challenge that is to be addressed by implementing existing digital technologies. Digitalization offers benefits in both financial sustainability and improved quality, unlocking substantial value as a result. Despite having the ability to technologically implement new digital solutions, it is not done comprehensively. In many ways, nontechnological hurdles as well as sectorial grown, stiff structures and regularizations prevent a dynamic application of reforms and new provisions. Consequently, health care lacks behind industry when it comes to utilization of the digital transformation to extract further actionable insights, a deeper understanding of streamline processes and to ultimately deliver improved patient care. The purpose of this paper is to reveal new challenges and opportunities of the digital revolution in health systems by the identification of praxis-related, target-oriented defiance and further research opportunities. Keywords: Digitalization · Quality management · Health systems
1 Introduction Digitalization is in full swing providing disruptive potential for value creation [1, 2] and jeopardizing those not participating in the transformation [3, 4]. Healthcare is no exception. [5, 6] Digitalization offers benefits in both financial sustainability and improved quality, unlocking substantial value as a result. [6, 7] Despite having the ability to technologically implement new digital solutions, it is not done comprehensively. In many ways, nontechnological hurdles as well as sectorial grown, stiff structures and regularizations prevent a dynamic application of reforms and new provisions. Consequently, health care lacks behind industry when it comes to utilization of the digital transformation to extract further actionable insights, a deeper understanding of streamline processes and to ultimately deliver improved patient care. [8] The purpose of this paper is to reveal new challenges and opportunities of the digital revolution in health systems by the identification of praxis-related, target-oriented defiance and further research opportunities. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 24–31, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_4
The Impact of Digitalization on Quality Management in Health Systems
25
2 Research Design Focus groups were found to be a valid tool for elucidating current perceived nontechnological hurdles and challenges in health systems quality management. Data was collected from two focus groups, with a total of 15 participants involved. Participants were representing medical centers, orthopedics and rehabilitation, emergency medical service, pharmacy, medical laboratories, nursing, home care and medical engineering. Thematic analysis of aggregated data was applied and compared with results of a systematic literature review on industry’s digital opportunities, barriers and risks. 2.1 Focus Groups as a Qualitative Research Method Qualitative interviews are one of the most popular methods used in empirical research [9]. Focus groups, as a rather uncommon form of qualitative research [10], are group interviews at its core, although not in the sense of an inquiry-response cycle [11, 12]. Rather the researcher takes on the role of a moderator than of an interviewer. Kruger and Casey describe it as “a less directive and dominant role” [12], giving space to open-ended questions and group interaction. This allows for a deeper exploration of problems [13, 14] and is particularly suited for the consolidation of existing knowledge, the generation of new information or to explore the depth and nuances of people’s opinions on a topic [15, 16]. The general idea behind focus groups is based on the assumption that participants with a shared problem are more willing to discuss it in a sheltered group than in a oneon-one interview situation [13, 17, 18]. Morgan emphasizes that in contrast to other group methodologies, that do not involve group interaction, like Delphi Groups, focus groups rely on participants discussions and interactions [19]. The opportunity to express approval, to add additional information to or to show disagreement with another participants response, give additional insights into why and how people feel about an issue under investigation [13, 20]. Furthermore, group interactions forces interviewees to reconsider and reevaluate their own statements [21]. Therefore, focus groups are more than aggregated individual contributions in one-on-one interviews [17, 18]. Although focus groups are usually used for qualitative research only [12, 18], it can be employed in the collection of quantitative data as well [10]. According to Morgan [19] the majority of focus groups are paired with other research methods. Consequently, focus groups offer a great deal of flexibility in its implementation and ask for an adaption and transfer to the current situation [22, 23]. 2.2 Selection of Experts and Ethical Considerations In order to address the research question and to gain first insights into the complex topic of digitalization’s influence on quality management in health systems, a careful selection of participants is crucial. Due to the research design, these focus groups as such cannot produce representativeness in a statistical sense. Although participants share personal experiences with and nuances of their individual opinion on the influence of digital transformation on quality management, the focus lies on the representability of the content, instead. [16, 24] This assumes that participants are rather representatives of the
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group under investigation than representing individual cases. Therefore, the purposive selection of typical cases is crucial. Members of the health system were eligible to participate if they 1) are an active member of health care industry 2) hold a position that grants them exclusive access to information on quality management and digitalization, 3) were willing to give informed consent, 4) were able to speak and understand German. Participant were recruited in the greater region of Koblenz, that applied for the German Digital Health Hub, and the commuter belt of the BTU Health Campus, that is center of many optimization projects in the field of health and digitalization [25]. Focus groups expose participants to the judgment of fellows with skilled moderators trying to persuade them to reveal intimate views, feelings and gathered experiences. [26] Therefore, consent is a central ethical concern in focus groups and serves as legitimizations of researchers’ actions. [27] All participants took part on a voluntary basis after confirming their participation through mail. After researchers explained what the gathered information is used for and to what extend it will be disclosed to others, participant gave written consent. Furthermore, confidentiality is ensured by access restrictions on the data and anonymous analysis of transcripts. The study was neither registered nor reviewed by an ethics committee. 2.3 Data Collection and Procedure of the Focus Groups The focus groups were conducted on 2nd April in Cottbus and on 9th April 2020 in Koblenz. Both sessions lasted approximately two hours until attainment of saturation [14]. By choosing two different locations – one in the very east, the other in the very west of Germany – environmental influence on the place of work and participants stance is captured. Furthermore, difference in legal requirements, like restrictions on remote treatment, influence the discussions [28]. A semi-structured guideline was used which was divided into categories including an short introduction to digitalization, an initial exploration of quality management in participants working environment and a comparison of quality management with other industries. Subsequently open-questions led the discussion to the influence of digitalization on quality management and participants were asked to present consequences for quality representatives triggered by digitalization. Finally, discussed themes were prioritized by participants. Because focus groups are group interviews, a moderator is essential [11, 23]. Consequently, one of the researcher takes on the role of a moderator with special attendance to the relationship developing between group members and encouraging interaction of all participants [29, 30]. Further, strategic summarizations were used to facilitate refinement of the groups point of view and individuals explanations. The researchers audiotaped ideas discussed and generated by participants. The verbatim, anonymized transcripts were matched with the protocol of nonverbal communication and analyzed based on the method proposed by Kuckartz [31]. Basically, the records are divided into thematic main groups, which are subsequently divided into further so-called subcategories. Statements from the focus groups are assigned to these. The final step involves visualizing and interpreting of the categorized information.
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2.4 Contrasting Juxtaposition with Current Literature Prioritized findings from the focus group interviews are compared with the current state of research in order to be able to assess whether the perceived hurdles, challenges and problems can be solved by state of the art digital solutions and whether its practical use is associated with certain risks and barriers. The existence of a technical solution that is not in the field often indicates nontechnical hurdles that are worth further investigation. The purpose of the comparison is the identification of research opportunities, which do not necessarily refer to technical solutions only, but usually address nontechnical barriers, on top. Due to the rapidly increasing number of publications on digitalization, a systematic approach to analyse existing literature is indispensable [32]. Therefore, Cooper’s literature review process serves as a framework, in order to guarantee a solid deduction of research gaps based on focus groups results [33].
3 Result In order to systematically evaluate results from the focus groups, participants perceived, praxis related problems are divided into the following mutually exclusive groups during the literature review: 1. Problems that can be addressed by existing digital solutions. 2. Problems where new digital solutions are needed. While the latter point gaps for technical solutions out, the former hints at problems in implementation or in the execution of digitalization strategies. Many problems described by participants can be addressed through existing technical solutions. Nevertheless, there is a discrepancy between the latest high-performance medicine, such as augmented reality robots, and the lethargic structures of the predominantly analogy indirect processes [34, 35]. The use of technical solutions in direct patient contact is intended to counteract the shortage of specialists [36] and, through more efficient implementation, to give the caregiver more time to work on the patient [37, 38]. So far, however, the potential of countless data sources is untouched [36]. Consistently, the databases for trend analysis and the development of key performance indicators (KPI) are missing. Participants demand methods to measure patient’s satisfaction and wishes with special emphasis and request support with the introduction and selection of suitable IT systems, e.g. data management systems, in the first place. As a result, duplicate workflows are eliminated and processes become more efficient, secure and effective. [8, 28]. For further particularization participants perceived, target-oriented defiance and risks are matched with the results of the review. A total of eight areas were identified, with 31 key topics that must be addressed for further improvements in health care’s quality management. Insights are summarized in Fig. 1. In Germany in particular, legal regularizations not only prevent e-prescriptions or nationwide telemedicine, but also a dynamic adaption of digital technologies [36]. Participants accentuate that people must demand the digitalization of health systems in order to initiate the application of dynamic reforms, provisions and nationwide general
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Fig. 1. Summary of results based on focus groups and literature review
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conditions. However, due to the black-box like structure of the health system, there is no initial impetus from the population [35, 39]. Results show that an essential need is in the area of structural quality. A target-oriented and sustainable implementation of quality enhancing measures presupposes a comprehensive work on general conditions and a structured approach for implementation.
4 Discussion Although many aspects inhibit the digital transformation in health system’s quality management, weighing opportunities, risks and hurdles the technical possibilities predominate. Nevertheless, a wide gap in implementation exists. This can be attributed to the enormous complexity of the health care system and legal restrictions, but it is particularly due to existing ambiguities regarding an individuals digital status quo. Therefore, a methodology for assessing digitalization readiness is needed. Existing maturity models and assessments are not tailored to health systems [40]. Particular emphasis should be on the human factors, vertical and horizontal integration as well as a detailed investigation of existing processes [41]. In addition, to its descriptive purpose the methodology should focus on the identification of further measures and the definition of an individual’s digital maturity level. Any digital strategy or measure should be based on takeaways from these assessments moving within the triangle of legal limitations, populations perceptions and comprehensive integration. In this way, the implementation of customer-driven, quality enhancing measures is possible, without risking isolated solutions that are contrary to the development of standards. A key challenge in this context is to develop methods that facilitate a dynamic elimination of non-technical hurdles within these sectorial grown, stiff structures and existing regularizations to enable dynamic application of further technical and non-technical measures in the future. Focus groups showed that the selection of digital technologies is a major challenge. Many digitization projects are nipped in the bud, because those responsible are put off by the large pool of existing technical solutions. A kind of digital improvement centre to select apposite technical solution for the individual case would be desirable. The need for selection assistant includes the selection of precisely fitting algorithms in the context of artificial intelligence, machine learning and data mining to ensure a structured and sustainable implementation.
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32. Parida, V., Sjödin, D., Reim, W.: Reviewing literature on digitalization, business model innovation, and sustainable industry: past achievements and future promises. Sustainability 11(1), 390–408 (2019) 33. Cooper, H.: Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis. A Step-by-Step Approach, 4th edn. Los Angeles (2010) 34. Bär, C., Grädler, T.: Digitalisierung im Spannungsfeld von Politik, Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und Recht. Gabler Verlag, Berlin (2018) 35. Amelung, V.: Digitale Innovationen im Gesundheitssystem - Wie kann deren Einführung gelingen? KU Gesundheitsmanagement 4(1), 23–25 (2018) 36. Haring, R.: Gesundheit digital: Perspektiven zur Digitalisierung im Gesund-heitswesen. Springer, Berlin (2019) 37. Mair, F., Haycox, A., Williams, T.: A review of telemedicine cost-effectiveness studies. J. Telemed. Telecare 6(1), 38–40 (2000) 38. May, C., Mort, M., Williams, T., Mair, F., Gask, L.: Health technology assessment in its local contexts: studies of telehealthcare. Soc. Sci. Med. 57(1), 697–710 (2003) 39. O’Connor, S., Hanlon, P., O’Donnell, C., Garcia, S., Glanville, J., Mair, F.: Understanding factors affecting patient and public engagement and recruitment to digital health interventions: a systematic review of qualitative studies. BMC Med. Inform. Decis. Mak. 16(1), 120–135 (2016) 40. Mittal, S., Khan, M., Romero, D., Wuest, T.: A critical review of smart manufacturing & industry 4.0 maturity models: implications for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). J. Manuf. Syst. 49, 194–214 (2018) 41. Szedlak, C., Leyendecker, B., Reinemann, H., Pötters, P.: Methodology for assessing digitalization readiness and maturity of small and medium-sized enterprises. In: Anisic, Z., Lalic, B., Gracanin, D. (eds.) IJCIEOM 2019. LNMIE, pp. 101–111. Springer, Cham (2020). https:// doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43616-2_12
Deduction of Digital Transformation Strategies from Maturity Models Christoph Szedlak(B) , Holger Reinemann, and Bert Leyendecker University of Applied Sciences Koblenz, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 56075 Koblenz, Germany [email protected]
Abstract. Nine out of ten business leaders plan to gradually increase their companies’ digital maturity. However, many struggle to pick from a wide range of promising digital solutions, facing major uncertainties with regard to a specific digital transformation strategy. Especially, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, rather stick to stand-alone solutions than developing comprehensive digital strategies. The purpose of this paper is to deduce digital transformation strategies in SMEs incorporating maturity models. The latter are often starting point to determine the status-quo of digital maturity and to deduce stand-alone measures. Although the content of digital maturity models is constant, the level of majority is dependent on the company’s strategy and operating model. Thus, maturity models can serve as a validation tool in an agile digital-strategy practice. Keywords: Digital transformation · Maturity model · Digital strategy
1 Introduction Digitalization is a major trend across all industries. Its importance is undisputed. Companies across all sectors are concerned with digital strategy, although still in its infancy at presence [1]. Many struggle to pick from a wide range of promising digital solutions, as the nature of technical, economic and social processes changed drastically with the progressively digital transformation [2]. Consequently, an appropriate assessment method is needed to cope with the huge number of digital solutions and to guide Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) out of their comfort zone [3]. Although a single digital strategy is crucial, defining target levels one has to distinguish between organizational enablers and distinctive technical capabilities serving as enablers for, and future digitized solutions. Digital maturity models are a promising approach to assess the digital as-is situation and to determine a suitable target position for the deduction of suitable digitalization projects [4]. Therefore, this paper attends the purpose to incorporate digital maturity models to address existing hurdles of current approaches for the development of digital transformation strategies.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 32–39, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_5
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2 Theoretical Background 2.1 Ambiguity on Digital Transformation and Digitalization Strategies Digital strategy and digital transformation are terms frequently used in current, predominately practice-oriented, literature [5]. However, both concepts lack a commonly accepted definition [6] and are often used interchangeably with terms such as digitalization, digitization or digital transformation [7]. Despite similarities and interrelations, it is essential to distinguish for a consistent use of terminology [8]. Digitization essentially refers to converting analogue information into a digital format, while digitalization refers to the way business and society changes through the use of digital technologies [9]. In a business related context, digitalization is about leveraging digital technologies to revise processes, products and user experiences [8] Thus, digitalization is a customerdriven process that changes technical and social aspects and therefore goes beyond a plain technical transformation [10]. The goal of digital transformation is to reach digital maturity, which defines a state of ability to achieve the desired transformation [11]. To put it in a nutshell, we digitize information, digitalize elements of business operations and digitally transform business models and strategies. A company’s digitalization strategy besides digital transformation objectives contains guidelines, plans, controlling structures and most important a digital vision [12]. Therefore, many consider it to be part of a company’s business strategy [13]. A digital strategy is the strategic roadmap to cope with all digitalization projects within a company and is the strategic answer to a digital transformation. 2.2 Maturity Models as a Tool to Assess Digital Maturity The goal to reach digital maturity plays an important role for a company’s digital vision and therefore for the deduction of digital strategies [14]. On the other hand, digitally maturing companies are more likely to have a clear and inherently consistent digital strategy [15]. However, to define a company’s individual level of digital maturity it is essential to determine the status quo. In general, maturity models are characterised by – A structured manner to determine the concrete situation of valuation – Incentives and measures to systematically improve capability levels – Capabilities to monitor successful implementation of specified measures [16] Consequently, maturity models do not only describe an evolutionary path to a state of perfection based on the status quo, but also act as an instrument to evaluate the degree of progress to reach maturity [17]. Because maturity models are a suitable tool to assess skill levels, to systematically, improve capability levels and to monitor these measures, they constitute a practicable instrument alongside digital transformation. Recently maturity models became a popular tool when it comes to assess SME’s digital maturity [4, 18]. As a special class of reference models, digital maturity models describe an evolutionary path to a desirable state within the context of digital transformation [11, 16]. This state is known as digital maturity representing the ultimate goal of the
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transformational process [19]. Initial practice-oriented research proposed plenty scales and archetypes to assess digital maturity in SME [20]. A solid overview of the diversity is conveyed by Akdil et al. [21], Mittal et al. [4], Chanias & Hess [20] and Carolis et al. [22]. Although maturity models characteristics vary significantly, the majority relays on similar revalidated procedures and instruments. 2.3 Existing Approaches on Digital Strategies In order to obtain clear insights on the state of the art, an extensive comparison of literature was conducted. Current literature proposes several different approaches for the development of digital strategies, which in general are composed of four generic phases. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Determination of initial situation Definition of target picture Deduction of digitalization measures Implementation of digitalization projects
These four phases are often closely related to corporate strategy and linked to the guiding principle of a digital vision [14]. Both can be seen as superordinate. With regard to the four phases some generic disadvantages were identified for SME. 1. The determination of the initial situation with common analysis tools and methods is strongly dependent on evaluators’ digital knowledge and experience with the evaluation method. Objectivity is a further cause of objection [2]. 2. Most approaches lack a support of foresight methods and only refer to the assessors’ intuition when it comes to the definition of desirable target picture. 3. Existing approaches either fail to hint on how to close the gap between initial and target situation or the methodology does not consider interdependencies and synergies in developing ways to close existing gaps. 4. Often a practicable tool to monitor the implementation, in particular of immaterial measures, is missing. By taking individual measures interdependencies and synergies between measures and future digitalization projects drop away. Although some authors assume the digital strategy to be independent from digital maturity, the vast majority argues that there are some strong interrelations. Thus, it seems natural to involve digital maturity models into the development of digital strategies.
3 Research Approach In order to address practical disadvantages in the development process of digital transformation strategies and to identify appropriate classes of maturity models to support this process, a multi-methodological research approach was carried out. In an initial literature review, current approaches for the development of digital transformation strategies
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were analysed and examined for similarities and generic challenges. Results were discussed with representatives from 19 SME as part of the QuickCheck digitization [23]. In addition to the practice-oriented problems, requirements for maturity models in particular, were defined for the individual phases. These supplemented a cluster analyse of 38 digital maturity models. Finally, results were matched and clusters were assigned to the phases based on the requirements.
4 Incorporating Maturity Model into the Development of Digital Strategies Many companies are struggling to develop comprehensive digital strategies, facing uncertainties, obstacles and generic challenges. The disadvantages described in Sect. 2.3 can be eliminated or mitigated by using maturity models. However, there are a number of digital maturity models with individual strengths and weaknesses [19]. These strengths and weaknesses need to be compared with the challenges of strategy development and used in a targeted manner. Accordingly, the individual models are suitable for different uses in the course of developing a digital strategy. For better understanding, clusters are formed, which can be illustrated in the model shown in Fig. 1. However, the derivation and cluster analysis should not be part of this paper. Instead, the three cluster categories are briefly explained in order to establish the relationship to the strategy development process. In practice, maturity models are normally used to disclose as-is situation and target maturity levels. However, digital maturity models are also used to identify measures to close the gap to reach digital maturity and even to benchmark against competitors. In consequence, the following typically consecutive purposes of use are distinguished: 1. descriptive: The maturity model is used as a diagnostic tool to assess current capabilities of the functional area, department or enterprise under investigation and to assign maturity levels with respect to given criteria [16, 24]. 2. prescriptive: The maturity model supports the identification of desirable maturity levels and derives concrete measures to close existing gaps between actual and target situation [16, 25]. 3. comparative: The maturity model allows for internal as well as external benchmarking based on historical assessment data [24]. In addition to the field of application, the effort, i.e. the resources used in terms of time, personnel and capital, is decisive for the strategy development process in practice. For a rough classification, these are summarized in the category form of execution, bringing in the underling assessment method. Mix forms are in between. 1. Online self-assessment: Are suitable for a quick and resource-saving insight. Usually a single person answers a standardized online questionnaire addressing universal and predominantly technical aspects of digitalization. 2. Internal project: In a single day workshop, internal teams usually deal with the evaluation. Efficient processing requires a deep understanding of the capabilites to be assessed and the method itself.
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3. External project: The assessment is carried out with the help of external consultants. In collaboration with internal teams, they assess the level of digital maturity within several workshops and interviews. This usually is the most costly form of execution also requiring high coordination efforts. The remaining classification variable describes the object under investigation 1. Objects: Specific digital technologies, e.g. big data, block chain or cybersecurity, are qualitatively assessed from supply side or user perspective. 2. Division: Processes and structures of a single division are analysed for a specific topic, like Industry 4.0. 3. Enterprise: The digital maturity of an enterprise is assessed with regard to a desirable state of preparedness for digital transformation. Dimensions span from technology to culture and organizational criteria. 4. Sector: The influence of digitalization on a sector is assessed with regard to general statements from a supply side and user perspective. Determination of Initial Situation Digital maturity models provide a snapshot of the present level of digital maturity, representing the status quo within a company. Thus, they often serve as a starting point in the development of digital transformation strategies [18, 21]. However, a single person usually is not able to give detailed answers for all divisions. To build on a well-defined initial situation it is essential to assess processes, structures and socio-technological aspects in detail. Within several workshops and interviews a deep understanding of the as-is situation must be generated. This requires a high level of experience with the assessment methodology and a thorough understanding of the evaluation criteria [4]. Objectivity is also crucial. Many SME systematically overestimate their level of digitalization [2]. Therefore, the highest accuracy of evaluation and most comprehensive maturity models are suitable to determine the initial situation. An intensive cooperation with external experts is recommended. Definition of Target Picture Digital maturity usually is equated with digital readiness, which represents an enterprises state of preparedness for the digital transformation. The second dimension, representing the effect of digital transformation on the enterprise, is often neglected. Remane, et al. call this dimension digital impact [18]. However, both dimensions are crucial to define an enterprises target picture. In a first step, the digital vision is developed in accordance with corporate strategy. This is influenced by the digital impact, which results from customers and clients’ expectations on the digitalization level and competitors level of digital maturity. For this purpose, a corresponding customer perspective should be taken in the qualitative assessment with maturity models. The focus is on the investigation of generalized and predominantly technological aspects of digitalization. However, it is crucial to involve clients and customers at an early stage. Intensive discussions between experts may sharpen the picture of competitor’s maturity level. In addition, it can be helpful to get a picture of your own industry within a workshop and to assess its future
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degree of digitization. Future potential and realistic target situations should be considered. To sharpen the own digital vision external benchmarks based on historical data are very helpful. Online self-assessments are usually suitable for this. It is recommended to discuss criteria internally, though. Deduction of Digitalization Measures Many SME do not dare to go beyond the previous step, because they fear to overlook essential aspects. Therefore, with a clear target position at hand, a detailed methodological approach to deduce measures to close the gap between initial and target situation is needed. Since this is a crucial step, specialist and methodological knowledge are required. Internal and external experts usually complement each other. Interrelations and synergies between technical and socio-technical criteria must be considered. Therefore, results should be brought together at divisional and enterprise level. Knowledge about previously unknown interdependencies is gained through an intensive and regular monitoring during the implementation phase. Attention should be paid, that the majority of existing maturity models neglects situational factors, such as structure, corporate culture or size, in order to reduce complexity [25]. However, these are crucial to systematically derive synergies, obstacles and interdependencies between digitalization measures and transformational strategies.
Fig. 1. Classification of the requirements for a maturity models in order to counter disadvantages of existing digital strategy approaches.
Implementation of Digitalization Projects In order to get early indications of synergies and hurdles between the criteria when implementing measures, it is recommended to prepare implementation by evaluating the as-is and target level for the specific digitalization project. Beside the supply side
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perspective taking on a user perspective is essential. Reassessing during implementation supports an agile implementation and early indication of socio-technical hurdles. Online self-assessments are suitable to gain quick and resource-saving insight. All digitalization projects must be monitored and regularly evaluated to identify unwittingly movements in maturity levels. Internal benchmarking across all digitalization projects direct the focus on urgent fields of action.
5 Conclusion To reach a state of digital maturity, that enables an enterprise to achieve the desired transformation, plays an important role for the deduction of digital strategies. In particular, SME struggle to define a comprehensive digital strategy and a clear digital vision, facing uncertainties, obstacles and generic challenges. A growing number of practice-oriented digital maturity models, with a consecutive purpose of use, presents SME with the challenge of choosing the correct model to mitigate these generic disadvantages within the strategy development phases. Therefore, a classification of the requirements for digital maturity models is provided to support the selection process when incorporating digital maturity models into digital strategy. However, the validation of the classification and of the use within the four phases of digital strategies is still pending.
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12. Rauser, A.: Digital Strategy: A Guide to Digital Business Transformation. Create Space Independent Publishing, Norht Charleston (2016) 13. Bharadwaj, A., El Sawy, O., Pavlou, P., Venkatraman, N.: Digital business strategy: toward a next generation of insights. MIS Q. 37, 471–482 (2013) 14. Greiner, O., Riepl, P., Kittelberger, D.: Die digitale Strategie - der Wegweiser zur systematischen Digitalisierung des Unternehmens. In: Kieninger, M. (ed.) Digitalisie-rung der Unternehmenssteuerung: Prozessautomatisierung, Business Analytics, Big Data, SAP S/4HANA, Anwendungsbeispiele, Stuttgart, Schäffer-Poeschel, pp. 19–32 (2017) 15. Kane, G., Palmer, D., Phillips, A., Kiron, D., Buckley, N.: Aligning the organization for its digital future. MIT Sloan Manag. Rev. (2016) 16. Becker, J., Knackstedt, R., Pööpelbus, J.: Developing maturity models for IT management a procedure model and its application. Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng. 1, 213–222 (2009) 17. Röglinger, M., Pööpelfuß, J., Becker, J.: Maturity models in business process management. Bus. Process. Manag. J. 18, 328–346 (2012) 18. Remane, G., Hanelt, A., Wiesboeck, F., Kolbe, L.: Digital maturity in traditional industries - an exploratory analysis. In: Proceedings of the 25th European Conference on Information Systems, Guimarães, Portugal, 5–10 June (2017) 19. Gökalp, E., Sener, ¸ U., Eren, P.E.: Development of an assessment model for industry 4.0: industry 4.0-MM. In: Mas, A., Mesquida, A., O’Connor, R.V., Rout, T., Dorling, A. (eds.) SPICE 2017. CCIS, vol. 770, pp. 128–142. Springer, Cham (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/ 978-3-319-67383-7_10 20. Chanias, S., Hess, T.: Maturity Models for the Assessment of a Company’s Status in the Digital Transformation. TU München, München (2016) 21. Akdil, K.Y., Ustundag, A., Cevikcan, E.: Maturity and readiness model for industry 4.0 strategy. In: Akdil, K.Y., Ustundag, A., Cevikcan, E. (eds.) Industry 4.0: Managing the Digital Transformation. SSAM, pp. 61–94. Springer, Cham (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3319-57870-5_4 22. De Carolis, A., Macchi, M., Kulvatunyou, B., Brundage, M.P., Terzi, S.: Maturity models and tools for enabling smart manufacturing systems: comparison and reflections for future developments. In: Ríos, J., Bernard, A., Bouras, A., Foufou, S. (eds.) PLM 2017. IAICT, vol. 517, pp. 23–35. Springer, Cham (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72905-3_3 23. Szedlak, C., Leyendecker, B., Reinemann, H., Pötters, P.: Methodology for assessing digitalization readiness and maturity of small and medium-sized enterprises. In: Anisic, Z., Lalic, B., Gracanin, D. (eds.) IJCIEOM 2019. LNMIE, pp. 101–111. Springer, Cham (2020). https:// doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43616-2_12 24. Maier, A., Moultrie, J., Clarkson, J.: Developing Maturity Grids for Assessing Organisational Capabilities. Engineering Design Centre, Cambrigde (2009) 25. Mettler, T., Rohner, P.: Situational maturity models as instrumental artifacts for organizational design. In: Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Design Science Research in Information Systems and Technology (2009)
Design and Development of Medical Devices Lozica Ivanovi´c1(B)
, Milan Rackov2 , Blaža Stojanovi´c1 , Marko Penˇci´c2 ˇ c2 , and Slavica Miladinovi´c1 Maja Cavi´
,
1 Faculty of Engineering, University of Kragujevac, Sestre Janji´c 6, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
[email protected] 2 Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovi´ca 6,
21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Abstract. The medical device industry is one of the fastest growing industries. Medical devices cover a wide range of products for medical use, ranging from the simplest to the most sophisticated medical equipment. Thanks to today’s rapid development in both medicine and technology, the development of medical devices has been intensified. Given the multidisciplinary characteristics of such devices and their environment, the process of developing medical devices involves some special characteristics. Due to their potentially harmful effects in the interaction with tissues and organs, compliance with the various directives is of particular importance. For these reasons, it is necessary to carefully follow all steps in the design and manufacture of medical devices in order to obtain regulatory approval and licensing of the products, so that their implementation is safe for users. This paper demonstrates that medical device design is a unique and complex process which requires an organized development strategy that ensures that the product meets design and user goals, is technically reliable, and can be produced safely and efficiently. Keywords: Medical device · Design process · Design methodology · Product development · Directives
1 Introduction Thanks to today’s rapid development in both medicine and technology, the development of medical devices has been intensified. The medical device is a term used for a large variety of products for medical application, going from the simplest to the most sophisticated medical equipment. As the functionality of the device becomes more complicated, problems related to reliability, efficiency and safety appear [1]. Given the multidisciplinary characteristics of such devices, as well as their potentially harmful effects in the interaction with tissues and organs, it is of great importance to harmonize their development process with various directives. Many studies have shown that the application of design methods in the design of medical devices and their development can achieve significant improvements [1–3]. Pietzsch et al. presented the linear stage-gate model that gave a comprehensive description of various activities and decisions related to the development of medical devices [2]. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 40–47, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_6
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Medical devices are important parts to improve patient overall safety, so it is necessary to know the way they are designed and developed. Tamsin et al. analyzed important factors such as: product development, tissue modelling, training, and FDA regulations, which must be considered during the design process [3]. Scientific and technological development has made it possible to achieve the design of medical devices that will not be only functional, but also modern and advanced. Barrios-Muriel et al. gave an overview of various rapid prototyping applied in the orthoprosthetic industry and pointed out that the choice of material in the design of an orthotic device is crucial for its success [4]. High-tech development has enabled the research of substances at the molecular level, which has encouraged the design and development of nanostructured materials that offer outstanding properties for use in medicine [5], prostheses and bone replacement implants. The application of these new nanomaterials in bio-medicine has led to the emergence of a hybrid science called nanobiotechnology [6]. Ramos et al. gave an overview of the use of new materials (nanoparticles) for specific medical applications in [7].
2 Regulatory Framework for Medical Devices In recent decades, medicine and technology have been strongly linked. Nowadays, one of the most important tasks is the development and improvement of devices used in medicine, not only for better medical practice, but also for better understanding of human bodies. For these reasons, it is necessary to carefully and thoroughly perform all steps in the design and manufacture of medical devices in order to obtain regulatory approvals and licensing of products so that their application is safe for users. There are many different organizations around the world that are responsible for regulating the activities of companies that manufacture medical devices. In the European Union, the Medical Devices Directives are in force, while in the USA, they follow the regulations of the Food and Drug Administration [8]. There is a common regulation for the members of The Global Harmonization Task Force (GHTF), whose members are: Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan and the United States. In Serbia, the Medicines and Medical Devices Agency is responsible for regulatory affairs. According to The Global Harmonization Task Force, a medical device is any instrument, apparatus, machine, appliance, implant, etc. intended by the manufacturer to be used in the diagnosis, prevention, monitoring, treatment or alleviation of disease or other condition [9].
3 Medical Device Product Design and Development Product development refers to the realization of market demands or a new idea into a new product [10]. Within the product development, a creative phase takes place which is related to product design. The design includes the selection and analysis of relevant data and factors in order to innovate the product, optimize its functions and improve quality. When it comes to the design and development of medical devices, the main goal is to provide a more efficient solution for products for medical use in order to improve and save human lives. In order to meet the requirements for good design, it is necessary
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to apply a methodology that systematizes research and directs the process towards the right solution [11]. As indicated in the previous chapter, to be compliant to regulations medical devices, must go through rigorous testing, validation and verification processes, which is specific to medical industrial design and production quality control standards. Verification and validation are checks in the design process that identify flaws and deviations in the design before the medical device is produced. Verification is a detailed review of design aspects at different stages of medical device development and provides an answer to the question of whether a product is correctly designed. Validation ensures that the correct product is designed to meet the needs of users [12].
Fig. 1. Product design and development models: (a) Waterfall model and (b) V-model.
Verification and validation prove that the medical device is safe, effective and meets the needs of end-users and patients. The importance of these activities in the design process of medical devices is illustrated by the example of the traditional waterfall model, shown in Fig. 1a [8]. The design inputs phase involves developing an idea and collecting data to define conditions that the product should satisfy. These conditions (requirements and wishes) are the result of the current needs of the market, users and production capabilities. During the creative phase, requirements are developed and a device is designed that will meet these demands. The design is then tested and evaluated to produce a device that meets customer and market requirements and is optimized for production. In addition to the waterfall model, validation is also presented in the literature as a product development V-model [13]. V-shaped model, shown in Fig. 1b is an expansion of classic waterfall model and it’s based on associated test stage (the right side of the V) for the every development stage (the left side of the V). This model due to the equal number of testing and development is referred to as the verification and validation model. This is a very strict model and the next stage is started only after the previous one is completed.
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The main difference between the waterfall model and the V-model is that in the waterfall model the activity tests are performed after the completion of the development activities, while in the V-model, the testing starts from the first phase. While the tests are just one of the steps in the waterfall, it seems to be practically half the process in the V-model. Basically, both models follow the same steps only they are presented in different ways.
4 Design Factors of Medical Devices In the process of product development in order to achieve high quality, the designer must consider a large number of different influencing factors such as function, purpose, material, colour, texture, etc. In order to design a product that will fully meet the requirements of users and be competitive in the market, it is necessary to define in more detail which functions are vital for the successful operation of the device, and which are the secondary functions. Also, designers must be acquainted in detail not only with what the product should do, but also where it will probably be used (e.g. in a home, hospital, or operating room) and who will use it (e.g. children or adults). The realization of the function and purpose includes many variations of appearance, design and materials used. One of the most effective methods for improving the performance of medical devices is to replace the metal with ceramic or plastic, as shown in Fig. 2. By applying highperformance biocompatible polymers, with simple design modifications, cost savings, improved aesthetics and ergonomic improvements are achieved. One of the advantages of using plastic is the possibility of painting products of different sizes (colour coding), which can be easily and quickly recognized in the operating room.
Fig. 2. Material as a medical design factor: (a) cup – metal or polyethylene, (b) liner – ceramic or polyethylene, (c) head – ceramic or metal, (d) femoral stem – cement less or cement and (e) hip prosthesis (adapted from [14]).
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Colour is a very important element in the design of both industrial and medical devices because the use of colours can achieve very different effects. In addition to improving the aesthetic appearance of the product and emotional - psychological effects, colour can draw users’ attention to certain elements of the product and provide them with information about their functions and characteristics, as well as the possible danger. Also, the parts that are threatened by some danger should be specially painted with colours that are easily noticeable and that excite the human psyche and have a strong effect on it (red, orange, yellow, etc.). One of the most important applications of colour in the design of medical devices is colour coding [15]. When choosing a colour, surface treatment should be taken into account, which can significantly affect the perception of colour. The texture may occur as a result of processing or are deliberately formed as a functional or in order to improve the aesthetic appearance of the product. When designing products for use in the operating room and other environments with high lighting, one should keep in mind the fact that white reflects the most light, causing glare and eye fatigue. Giving white surfaces a matte finish will alleviate these problems to some extent. In addition to visual perception, tactile texture sensation is important in medical devices.
Fig. 3. The texture of medical devices: (a) trigger for open-surgery device and (b) trigger for laparoscopic-surgery device [16].
For example, while the trigger of an open surgery device is rubberized and textured on the inner edge and part of the outer edge for flexible control, the lower outer edge has become extremely smooth without the use of rubber, as shown on Fig. 3a. This design was chosen after confirming that the rubberized trigger surface can inadvertently catch the surgical curtains and interfere with the operation. For a laparoscopic surgery device, the entire outer edge of the trigger is non-rubberized, as shown on Fig. 3b, because of the greater possibility of it coming into contact with surgical drapes in such operations [16]. The texture of medical devices can affect how easily the product can be cleaned and disinfected. Fingerprints and stains are easily seen on shiny surfaces, but too rough a texture allows for easier surface contamination.
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5 The Example of the Designs of Custom Made Hip Prosthesis Using the artificial hip joint instead of natural hip joint and establishment of the patient’s lower limb function become very often procedures in orthopaedic surgery. According to research, more than 500,000 procedures of this type are performed every year in the US and UK alone [17]. There is a significant increase in the number of diseases whose treatment needs replacement of the hip joint with an artificial. The improvements in the hip endoprostheses’ characteristics can be obtained by using a personalised design approach, computer-supported analyses in order to optimise the characteristics and production. Recent research shows that the custom-made endoprostheses allow significantly improved implants fittings to the bone [18] and biomechanical characteristics [19] as well as significantly lower failure occurrences [20]. Researches from the University of Novi Sad [21] presented the original methodology of designing the hip joint prosthesis according to the patient’s measurements. It is based on the assumptions that it is suitable to apply a general geometric model based on the mathematical description of the outer surface of the endoprosthesis. The development of hip joint endoprostheses using computer support in methodology way includes a systematic access to defining geometric parameters which are classified according to the importance regarding the prosthesis shape and its function. The methodology of custom design of hip joint is based on the application of three groups of parameters for the geometry of the endoprosthesis body. According to the purpose and stage in which they are used, the parameters can be classified by their effect on the location, overall dimensions, orientation and the endoprosthesis shape (Fig. 4).
Fig. 4. Parameters of the endoprosthesis [21].
Developed software was used for designing of the hip joint endoprosthesis body. It allows the design of the endoprosthesis body and the selection of the acetabular component. The entire femoral part of the endoprosthesis was obtained by forming a common multi-sections surface containing the said profiles guided by the resulting curve attained by the integration of the partial guiding curves. The surface thus obtained is added to the proximal part of the femur model which is defined by the surface forms, determined by the standard of the bond between the artificial head of the femur and the body of endoprosthesis, as well as additional shapes conditioned by the requirements of the technology of manufacturing and assembly into the body (Fig. 5).
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Fig. 5. Design software implementation: (a) graphical definition of endoprosthesis body and (b) graphical interface of the developed software [21].
6 Conclusion The development of medical devices is a complex activity based on market demands, where compromises must be made regarding factors such as product innovation, regulatory risk, application of new technologies and production opportunities. Therefore, it is essential that medical device manufacturers consider all influencing factors and apply the most efficient methodology. This paper presents some of the models that are applicable for improving the design and development of a medical product. The need for verification and validation in the medical device design process in order to obtain device approval was emphasized. From the presented review it can be concluded that user requirements must be entered correctly at the beginning of the product development process. Also, consideration of all regulatory aspects should be included in the early design phase. This study highlighted the main factors to consider when designing medical devices. The process of designing and fabrication of medical devices has been a very interesting research area which still attracts considerable engineering activities. The main reasons for such interest are the complexity of biomechanical conditions, the influencing factors on the operation success and medical devices lifetime, as well as the cost-effectiveness of their production. The basic advantage of the described methodology of custom made endoprostheses is the formalisation of all stages of the development and production of custom made implants. Additionally, defining the parameters of the endoprosthesis geometry and their association with bone morphology creates possibilities for partial or complete application of the methodology, depending on the available methods of the diseased femur imaging technique. There is a significant area left for its expansion with new parameters and criteria. Also, despite significantly higher prices, research indicates an increase in the need for patient-specific endoprostheses, primarily in the revision and reconstructive procedures. The number of such procedures indicates the market existence, whose growth prospects may influence primary endoprosthesis market as well.
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References 1. Fries, R.: Reliable Design of Medical Devices. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton (2006) 2. Pietzsch, J.B., Shluzas, L.A., Paté-Cornell, M.E., Yock, P.G., Linehan, J.H.: Stage-gate process for the development of medical devices. J. Med. Devices 3(2), 021004-1–021004-15 (2009) 3. Tamsin, M., Bach, C.: The design of medical devices. IJISR 1(2), 127–134 (2014) 4. Barrios-Muriel, J., Romero-Sánchez, F., Alonso-Sánchez, F.J., Salgado, D.R.: Advances in orthotic and prosthetic manufacturing: a technology review. Materials 13(2), 295-1–295-15 (2020) 5. Faraji, A.H., Wipf, P.: Nanoparticles in cellular drug delivery. Bioorgan. Med. Chem. 17(8), 2950–2962 (2009) 6. Saji, V.S., Choe, H.C., Young, K.: Nanotechnology in biomedical applications-a review. Int. J. Nano Biomater. 3(2), 119–139 (2010) 7. Ramos, A.P., Cruz, M.A.E., Tovani, C.B., Ciancaglini, P.: Biomedical applications of nanotechnology. Biophys. Rev. 9(2), 79–89 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12551-0160246-2 8. Design control guidance for medical device manufacturers, FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health, FDA 21 CFR 820.30 and Sub-clause 4.4 of ISO 9001 (1999) 9. Medical Device Regulations: Global Overview and Guiding Principles. World Health Organization. Geneva (2003) 10. Ulrich, K., Eppinger, S.: Product Design and Development. McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York (2011) 11. Ogrodnik, P.: Medical Device Design: Innovation from Concept to Market. Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier, London (2019) 12. Aitchison, G.A., Hukins, D.W.L., Parry, J.J., Shepherd, D.E.T., Trotman, S.G.: A review of the design process for implantable orthopedic medical devices. Open Biomed. Eng. J. 3(1), 21–27 (2009) 13. Medtech StartUp School 2018. https://myslq.net/2018/08/12/new-slq-guideline/. Accessed 04 June 2020 14. Medacta. https://www.medacta.com/EN/hip-replacement. Accessed 06 June 2020 15. Sawyer, D.: An Introduction to Human Factors in Medical Devices. U.S. Department of HHS, Public Health Service, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Devices and Radiological Health (1996) 16. Olympus Global. https://www.olympus-global.com/technology/design/story/surgicalenergydevice/?page=technology_design. Accessed 12 June 2020 17. Pivec, R., Johnson, A.J., Mears, S.C., Mont, M.A.: Hip arthroplasty. Lancet 380(9855), 1768– 1777 (2012) 18. Jun, Y., Choi, K.: Design of patient-specific hip implants based on the 3D geometry of the human femur. Adv. Eng. Softw. 41(4), 537–547 (2010) 19. Liu, D., Hua, Z., Yan, X., Jin, Z.: Design and biomechanical study of a novel adjustable hemipelvic prosthesis. Med. Eng. Phys. 38(12), 1416–1425 (2016) 20. Tsukada, S., Wakui, M.: A case series of total hip arthroplasty using cementless hip stem customized for patients of a specific race: 10- to 15-year results. J. Arthroplasty 31(1), 190–193 (2016) 21. Tabakovi´c, S., Zeljkovi´c, M., Milojevi´c, Z., Živkovi´c, A.: Design of custom made prosthesis of the hip. Vjesn 2(26), 323–330 (2019)
Shaping the Future of Serbia’s Economy: Impact of the Industry 4.0 Platform on Industrial Output Vidosav Majstorovi´c1(B)
, Dragan Ðuriˇcin2 , and Radivoje Mitrovi´c1
1 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
[email protected] 2 Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Abstract. Recently, the Covid-19 pandemic has hit the world economy as a meteor impact, provoking a truly systemic effect. It pushed the economy into pause, additionally downgrading risk appetite by persistently weakening demand, supply, employment, capital investments, and all forms of discrete investments (education, science, R&D, health care, etc.). Making a sustainable and inclusive growth pattern is not possible without the paradigm change both in microeconomics (technology (like Industry 4.0 model) and business model) and macroeconomics (resource and energy circulated model of growth and heterodox economic policy platform, including also Industry 4.0 Platform). The objective of this paper is to fill the present conceptual vacuum in economics with the aim to identify catalytic strategies for transition of growth model based on financialization and linear manufacturing into the resource and energy circulated model of growth and heterodox economic policy platform. Intention is to highlight insights about the macroeconomic specifics of Serbia and potentials of Industry 4.0 platform from engineering perspective as a way of sustainable and inclusive growth through new industrialization. Industry 4.0 is an opportunity for any post-Covid 19 macroeconomic scenario. Keywords: Industry 4.0 · Circular economy · Economic policy · Manufacturing sector
1 Introduction Remarks In today’s rapidly changing industrialized world, globalization, customer-oriented products and advanced automation, play a major role in the development of high-tech manfacturers. This industry is at the forefront of the application of Industry 4.0 solutions, bringing cutting edge technologies that will change the products, processes and supply chains [1]. Industry 4.0 introduces even greater connectivity through IC technologies, enabling manufacturers to maintain their competitive advantage in a rapidly changing world, and to respond flexibly and quickly to customer demands. Industry 4.0 in the manufacturing sector, plays a key role in three areas [2]: (a) smart supply chains, (b) smart © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 48–55, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_7
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manufacturing, and (c) smart products. In Serbia, since 2006, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade has been working several projects related to various EU initiatives and programs, which were related to new technologies and their application in research and practice [3–5]: Manufuture program, Intelligent Manufacturing - World Technology Forum - WMF, and Factories of the Future - FoF. We are started working on the Industry 4.0 Program in Serbia at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade in June 2015. Since 2016, the Conference - Advanced Manufacturing Program - Industry 4.0 model for Serbia has been held in Belgrade every year. Since the first AMP Conference, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade has organized twenty-five Panels on Industry 4.0, where, among other things, the following topics were discussed: New Industrial Policy of Serbia, Education of Mechanical Engineers for Industry 4.0, Industry Model 4.0 for SMEs, Programs Industry 4.0 in the world, Industry 4.0 for the defense industry of Serbia, and others. In this way, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade became the leading national educational and scientific institution for the Industry 4.0 model in Serbia and the region WBC [3–7]. The main goal of the paper is to present the economic policy framework for Industry 4.0 in our country, as well as to provide elements of the Industry 4.0 Platform for Serbia.
2 Serbia: From Industrialization to Deindustrialization and Back Industrialization in Serbia intensified in early 1960s based primarily on technology transfer in tradable sectors, sectors that export and/or compete with imports based on comparative advantage. Despite export expansion, current account deficits ware a consequence of technology purchase and terms of trade. Deficit in capital balance was a result of credit financing of related technology purchase. So, double macro deficits increased debt burden and decreased speed of growth, Consequently, Serbia entered in “middle income trap” in the middle of 1980s [8, 9]. Fiscal balance was a prerequisite for dynamic economic growth, along with structural changes. At the end of 2019, the government has prepared a new industrialization programme with the special focus on implementation of the Industry 4.0 platform. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic postponed the implementation of this programme. After a positive growth rate of 5% in 1Q 2020 as an echo effect of previous growth inertia, industrial production plunged in 2Q 2020 by - 6%, primarily as a result of lockdown. Negative shocks from both the supply and demand side elicit a deeper decline and longer recovery [9].
3 The Covid-19 Crisis and Anti-crisis Programme The New Normal is a combined crisis, an economic crisis within a medical crisis. Under the impact of the New Normal we are not living in transformation age, but rather in a transformation of an age. Social distancing as key medical measure has push economy in sleeping mode. Core macroeconomics policies responses include liquidity infusion and fiscal stimulus, both in massive and permanent way. Such policies will destroy the market place and increase moral hazard.
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Figure 1 portrays alternative post-Covid-19 pandemic economic trajectories as results of medical and macroeconomic responses to the crisis. There are four alternative scenarios: L-shaped, swoosh-shaped, V-shaped, and W-shaped. The extreme scenarios from the previous figure are a V-shaped recovery and L-shaped recovery. The bestcase recovery, or a V-shaped recovery, is a consequence of an adequate macroeconomic (monetary and fiscal) response and an adequate medical response. Unfortunately, today nobody talks about V-shaped recovery. The worst-case scenario, or L-shaped recover, assumes no monetary and fiscal responses to supply and demand shocks and no medical response.
Fig. 1. Alternative post-Covid-19 scenarios.
The combined scenarios are swoosh-shaped and W-shaped. In a swoosh-shaped scenario, we actually have a slow rebound without restructuring. W-shaped scenario is a consequence of inadequate medical response to the successive waves of the pandemic, leading to double-dip crisis. In a combined crisis without an anti-crisis programme, the economy could not survive. To avoid being in freefall, every government in the world performs anti-crisis program. In this programme care measures must be taken to ensure that short-term solutions for both aspects of crisis do not create long-lasting problems. The content of an anti-crisis programme comes with the type of the crisis (medical crisis in economic crisis). Consequently, according to [10, pp. 1–25], the purpose of an anti-crisis programme is twofold. First, the flattening of the epidemic curve as much as possible with the aim to save human lives and avoid medical system overload with infected patients. Second, steepening the recession output, explained by J-shaped curve, with the aim to prevent an economic free fall, L-shaped recovery or swoosh-shaped recovery. Dotted lines from Fig. 2 portray trend lines without anti-crisis programme, in medical crisis and economic crisis.
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In the anti-crisis programme many things have happened from the unconventional side of economic policies. In the monetary sphere, massive liquidity pumping through bailout of creditors and quantitative easing (QE) are new variations of the role of the central bank as a “lender of last resort”. A balance sheet expansion and emergency purchase of state and corporate bonds, explains that the central bank is going to be a “buyer of last resort”. Also, along with QE aimed at making liquidity infusion in financial intermediaries (or the Wall Street), central banks also provide financial support to the real economy (the Main Street). Moreover, the permanent stimulus is a constant of fiscal policies.
Fig. 2. Two simultaneous processes of an anti-crisis programme. Source: Partially modified from [10, p. 9]
It is premature to say that the turning point from downfall to recovery happened. For the strategic inflection point to occur, a strategy of new industrialization is required. Following a successful recovery, for a sustainable and inclusive growth pattern, the new growth model and related policy platform is needed.
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4 New Growth Model and Economic Policy Platform Reindustrialization as a road to long-term recovery is not possible until the economy remains in lockdown. The successive waves of infection triggered by virus mutation are increasing fears and the economy is not getting back to normal quickly enough. Without any doubt, the neoliberal model of growth based on market fundamentalism and inflation targeting has caused deindustrialization, massive economic unbalances and social and environmental harm to a level that threatens the continuation of the economy and the planet Earth, as a whole. The Covid-19 pandemic only exacerbates deeply rooted structural imbalances. To mitigate the complex crisis like this one, the government should take radical reform steps to make conceptually complex economic model through implementation of the “visible hand” of the state (structural, intentional or industrial policies) along with the “invisible hand” of the market. The necessity of redirecting cash flow from speculative investment to impact investment, or investment with high negative external effects, is evident all round the world. The greater part of impact investment will be in carbon-free technologies, infrastructure (physical and digital), science, education, and health care. So, the government thinks about core policies (monetary and fiscal) on structural way. To implement resource and energy circulated economy model of growth, the economy must follow a set of goals defined by the United Nations and known as Social Development Goals [11]. Government internalizing externalities is essential for impact investment in infrastructure. With industrial policies the government will accelerate technological change with the aim to break the deindustrialization stalemate in implementation of frontier technologies. The previous is the well recognized the issue in the EU and a prerequisite for transcending current linear industrial model in circular one [12]. In the long-run, the road map for rapid decarbonisation and medical system adjustments for microbe mutations will be promising pathways toward a new industrialization based on circular and greener economy. One way of framing up the new context is implementation of the new framework. Fast rebound is not possible without radical transformation of the economy. Hightech manufacturing based on combinatorial innovations has an important role to play in transformation toward industrial production of the future. For the first time in history of humanity universal connectivity is a free good. We can live simultaneously in physical reality and virtual reality. Roadmap for transformation of linear manufacturing sector in Serbia is Industry 4.0 platform with the aim to develop cyber-physical production systems able to produce intelligent products. It is way to increase share of industrial production in output formation from current 23% to expected 30–40% in the long term. Advanced industrial production based on Industry 4.0 solutions enable us to manufacture products at practically near zero marginal costs and small amounts (means high diversification). Moreover, the nature of advanced industrial production is more conducive to social distancing and contingent operations. Moreover, previous catalytic strategy will contribute to return to pre-Covid-19 level of output sooner. Conventional manufacturing sectors, for example cars, energy, aerospace, could not contribute to rebound significantly. They desperately need rightsizing (capital, assets, and number of employees), transformation toward carbon-free industries and diversification (medical equipment, primarily).
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Service sectors of the economy (hotels and resorts, air transport, retail and wholesale, business services, financial services, etc.), in which it is more difficult to practice work at home, plunge into lower recovery due to deepening downturns. On the global level, paradigm shifts toward the circular model of growth and a heterodox economic policy platform require immense investments (from billion to trillion). The question is: How can we finance new industrialization and how can we get capital that is needed? The ideal source of financing of the circular and greener economy is long-term bond issuance with over-proportional yield. The so-called “green bond” is necessary for attracting more savings. Also, pensions and life-long insurance are important sources of finance. Theoretically, there is no limit to money (and credit) expansion. Consequentially, the so-called “green credits” as a supplementary credit channel for carbon-free industrialization and enhanced medical security could be used to energize economic development. Actually, it is intentional variation of “QE” (quantitative easing), but this time it is a “green QE”. Simplifying to extreme, it is money printing for impact investments. Also, digital money could be used in a parallel way through centralised (instead of decentralized) channels with existing transmission channels. Better quantification of related risks of environmental and health care degradation led central monetary power to stress-test commercial banks along criteria such as contribution to climate and medical crisis mitigation when they released “green credits”. In tax policy, along with income tax, value-added tax, and digital tax, all on global level, innovative solutions are “carbon tax” and “medical tax”. Every country has its own way toward a more sustainable and inclusive growth pattern regarding the people and the nature. There is no automatic pilot. In case of Serbia, promising industries based on the Industry 4.0 platform are as follows: ICT, confectionary and dairy based on organic agriculture, renewable energy, pharmaceutical and medical equipment. In service sector, health tourism has a great potentials. Transcending toward new industry requires implementation of Industry 4.0 platform as catalytic strategy of change. Industry 4.0 is related with disruptive innovations. In case of non-essential products, demand disruption, along with business model disruption, the new business development is required. In case of essential industrial products, business model change and structural portfolio restructuring are feasible options. A relief and stimulus programme should be designed to steer manufacturers to energize production, employ people, and reward value creation instead of stimulating speculative investments on capital markets. Structural (or industrial) policy measures should encourage investment in sustainable growth along with reduction of the carbon footprint and medical security.
5 Digital Platform of Serbia for Industry 4.0 The Digital Platform of Serbia for Industry 4.0 (hereinafter - the Platform) is a unique vision of connecting all industrial sectors, using ICT, for their digital transformation, with the basic goal of raising the competitiveness of Serbian industry in the global market. It connects industry, educational, research institutions, decision makers and NGOs on common goals of digital industry transformation. The Platform is part of the Industrial Policy of Serbia 2020/2030. The Platform enables our country to join the club of 37 most
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industrialized countries in the world, which have and doing according to the Strategic national program for Industry 4.0. The platform is a National Strategic Initiative of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade as a representative of the Alliance I4.0 Serbia, the Ministry of Economy and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. The political levers of the Platform include the initial design phase, the visionary and top-down management role of the Ministry of Economy and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce in the form of developing a strategy for the application of this concept in practice. Expected results include: acceleration of innovations, realization of industrial solutions for I4.0 in practice, new generation of trained and highly qualified professionals and development of sustainable and competitive industrial ecosystem in Serbia. The main goals of the platform are: (1) increase of contribution of industrial production in GDP of 23% to more 30% by 2030; (2) increase investment in research and development from the current 0.6% to 1.5% of GDP by 2030; (3) increasing the innovation potential and exports of domestic companies, and on the basis of high added value-added products (intelligent products); (4) reduction in blue-collar work; and (5) increasing the application of digital technologies in industrial production. The Platform has the following parts: (a) Education and training for I4.0; (b) Manufacturing in value chains - intelligent products; (c) IC Technologies in Industry 4.0; (d) Industry 4.0 Cyber-Physical Pilot System/Center of Excellence for Mechanical Engineering and (e) Innovation and eco business models for industry. The Platform represent an integral Strategic vision of the advanced industrialization of Serbia. The main role of the Platform is to generate recommendations and facts for the Policy of the Government of the Republic of Serbia in the field of economic and industrial development for the period 2020/2030.
6 Conclusion The digital platform is a roadmap for the transformation of Serbia’s manufacturers, especially for the improvement of the competitive position of established businesses and development of SMEs. The basic framework for this is Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), which should produce intelligent products. Industry 4.0 requires a philosophical change in the establishment of new production facilities and leads to a new vision of production based on new paradigms: intelligent production and products, and communication and information networks as intelligent software [13] presents a scenario for the transformation towards Industry 4.0, at the level of national policies and programs.
References 1. Recommendations for implementing the strategic initiative Industrie 4.0, Securing the future of German manufacturing industry, April 2013. https://www.din.de/blob/76902/e8cac8 83f42bf28536e7e8165993f1fd/recommendations-for-implementing-industry-4-0-data.pdf. Accessed June 2020 2. The 4th Industrial Revolution: A Primer for Manufacturers, Oracle (2018). https://cloud.ora cle.com/opc/saas/indmftg/reports/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-report.pdf. Accessed June 2020 3. Majstorovic, V., et al.: Program - Advanced Industrialization of Serbia and Industry Policy, horizon 2020/2030, Mechanical Engineering Faculty (2018)
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4. Majstorovic, V., et al.: Project - Advanced Industrialization of Serbia – Industry 4.0 for Serbia, Mechanical Engineering Faculty, Belgrade (2019) 5. Majstorovic, V., et al.: Cyber-physical manufacturing in context of industry 4.0 model. In: Proceedings of 3rd International Conference on the Industry 4.0 Model for Advanced Manufacturing, Belgrade, pp. 227–238 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-3-319-89563-5 6. Majstorovic, V., et al.: Cyber-physical manufacturing metrology model (CPM3 ) for sculptured surfaces – turbine blade application. Proc. CIRP 63, 658–663 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.procir.2017.03.093 7. Majstorovic, V., et al.: Industry 4.0 – National Program of Serbia, Mechanical Engineering Faculty, Belgrade (2019) 8. Djuricin, D., Vuksanovic Herceg, I.: Shaping the future of Serbia’s economy: the new growth model and economic policy platform. Ekonomika preduze´ca 68(1–2), 8. https://scindeks-cla nci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0353-443X/2016/0353-443X1602015D 9. Ðuriˇcin, D., Vuksanovi´c Herceg, I.: Illuminating an economy of the future: how to win the transition to industry 4.0 with new economic rules. In: Monostori, L., Majstorovic, V.D., Hu, S.J., Djurdjanovic, D. (eds.) AMP 2019. LNME, pp. 100–112. Springer, Cham (2019). https:// doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18180-2_8 10. Baldwin, R., Weder di Mauro, B.: Mitigating the Covid Economic Crisis: Act Fast and Do Whatever It Takes, A CEPR Press VoxEU.org eBook, London (2020) 11. United Nations, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, UN, Geneva (2015). https://sdgs. un.org/goals. Accessed June 2020 12. Mazzucato, M., et al.: Which industrial policy does europe need? Intereconomics 50(3), 120– 155 (2015). https://www.intereconomics.eu/contents/year/2015/number/3/article/which-ind ustrial-policy-does-europe-need.html 13. Smart Factory Pioneer of Industrie 4.0. https://smartfactory.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ SF_BR_WegbereiterVonIndustrie40_A5_EN_XS.pdf. Accessed June 2020
Integration of Game-Based Software Tools into Higher Education Danilo Nikoli´c(B)
, Dušanka Daki´c , Aleksandra Kolak , Dajana Narandži´c , and Anja Jankovi´c
Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, Faculty of Techincal Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. Technology is increasingly being used in all areas and is greatly involved in modern education. This paper aims to examine the impact of using game-based software tools on student engagement and motivation during class. The goal of using game-based software tools is not to replace the work of teachers, but to support the active involvement of students in the topics currently under study. The results of previous research on the use of a game-based software tool and the results obtained using the same tool in an online learning environment are compared. Keywords: Game-based technology · Software tools · Higher education
1 Introduction The rapid increase in the availability and accessibility of interactive technologies has contributed to the adoption of games in science and higher education to encourage learning and research. Students can experiment with different technologies to support their learning, and that is the reason why they enjoy using mobile and web applications [1]. According to research on the dynamics of attention span during class, students’ attention is increased during the first ten minutes of the class, and it decreases after that. One way to solve this problem and get students’ attention is to change the environment during class [2]. Another way is to incorporate game-based software that helps the stimulation of dopamine, which plays a key role in student motivation, influence, and learning. Game-based student response systems (GSRS) should increase students’ engagement. In universities, maintaining students’ attention and engagement in information technology classes can be difficult, as teaching is often teacher-centered, with limited student involvement and interaction between them. Lectures become monotonous, and students tend to engage in non-task related activities [3]. It is expected that integrating game-based software tools in teaching with the purpose of testing knowledge and repeating study material will increase their engagement and learning. Under the social norms prescribed by the lecture environment, students rarely ask public questions and prefer to remain anonymous [3], thereby reducing student engagement. However, the use of game-based © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 56–63, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_8
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software tools allows students to remain anonymous while interacting with the teacher and other students [4]. The use of gamification in education enhances student response systems (SRS), with promising results [4]. SRS is often used to screen multiple-choice questions to offer students the ability to interactively respond to quizzes as part of a formal grading regime. There is a noticeable difference between student response systems such as iClicker and Poll Everywhere and more modern student response systems such as Kahoot! [5]. The use of GSRS in the form of gamification requires participants to activate prior knowledge and evaluate their reactions while playing and learning. GSRS should increase student attention, motivation, engagement, and enjoyment beyond traditional methods. In this way, GSRS systems should overall improve teaching, but also at the individual level should motivate students who do not normally participate in discussions, and GSRS systems are useful teaching tools in fostering learning personalization [4]. Based on these assumptions, this paper will present the results of an exploration of the use of a GSRS tool in teaching at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia. Kahoot!, as a game-based learning platform, is a free tool used in various fields. This platform has more than 30 million users worldwide [6]. Kahoot! was created in 2015. by Jamie Brooker and Johan Brand as a system that allows users to create different types of games, such as quizzes, polls, and discussions in which participants compete against each other. It is a system that can work at a classroom level, and the idea is that more students or even the whole class should participate. Kahoot! supports assessments, productive formative assessments, and student reflection [7]. In the beginning, the teacher registers on this system, and afterward, he can select a large number of predefined games that can be easily adapted to his needs or can even create his own game entirely. The creation process is straightforward and easy. After that, students participate in a competition based on the created game, at the same time, each on their device. During the game, the best and fastest answers to each question are revealed, as well as the overall results at the end of the session [8]. This paper aims to investigate the impact of a tool based on the game Kahoot! on the activity, motivation, and learning of students in the online learning environment and to compare the obtained results with previous research [9] conducted in the laboratory environment. A survey was used as a research method and the obtained results are presented in this paper. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents background and related work in this field. Section 3 describes the methodology used in the research. Section 4 the obtained results are presented and compared with the previous research [9]. and Sect. 5 concludes the paper and suggests future research.
2 Background and Related Work Dominiques et al. [10] used an e-learning platform to find out how the use of gamification influences students’ motivation to participate actively in teaching. A special software add-on has been created for the platform used in the course as an introduction to information and communication technologies, and this add-on allows the use of
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game elements such as trophies and medals, which students receive after completing a specific assignment. Qualitative analysis of the results revealed that gamification has a great emotional and social impact on students, both because of the reward system and the competition part because students were immediately ranked according to the results obtained and could be seen by all, thus knowing their progress in relation to others. However, such results were not shown for all students. Some students did not find it amusing to compete with classmates and did not like the fact that everyone could see their results. On the other hand, the quantitative analysis shows that the cognitive impact of gamification on students has not proved very significant. Students who participated in the research performed better on practical assignments than on written ones, compared to those who took the course regularly. Also, at first, they had great motivation to actively participate in teaching, but it decreased over time. Giannetto et al. [11] tried to reduce the motivation problem by using the QizBox web application in teaching. They designed a reward system based on experience points, where participants can complete one of 5 roles based on their engagement in teaching. These roles are Social, Smart, Researcher, Mentor, and Diligent. Particularly interesting is the role of the Mentor, which students get when they help their classmates with specific difficulties by answering questions in a community forum and encouraging their work. For each role, students receive a corresponding trophy and are thus encouraged to advance to the next level of the role. This paper did not evaluate the results, only set up an implementation framework. Song et al. [12] wanted to show whether learning object-oriented programming is more effective through the use of play. They claim that good game design is key to maintaining the fundamental goal of gamification, which is learning. The user interface is very important to keep students’ attention, so it must be clear and straightforward. It is essential to have a good story in the game to keep the user occupied and interested in what is next. In this case, the game Ztech de Object - Oriented is used, in which the story of object-oriented concepts extends throughout the levels. The main player in the game is a student, which is why this is a role play, where the character is being upgraded to the highest level. The results of the survey, where the students expressed their opinion about the game, show that this way of learning is better than the traditional ones, but they think that a better reward system should be introduced. In order to engage students and enable them to learn programming actively, Mathrani et al. [13] used the educational LightBot game. In this game, players are tasked with controlling a robot that needs to light up all the blue tiles in the walking area, and they do this with a set of commands that represent basic programming concepts. The game has four stages, and each stage has six levels with a gradual increase in weight. The survey itself was applied to two groups of students, the first of whom had no programming knowledge, while the second had recently completed one programming course. The results show that students of both groups enjoyed the game and felt that through the game, some concepts of programming - functions, procedures, conditions were mastered more effectively. With the students of the first group, this game created a positive attitude about learning programming, but some thought it would be better if they first completed a traditional programming course and then only played the game. The
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students of the second group achieved better results in the past phases but also stated that they would prefer to have various tasks. Overall responses indicated that the first group had shown greater enthusiasm than the second group. This consequence was explained by stating that the students of the second group were already familiar with these concepts and that they were preoccupied with the obligations in other courses. This conclusion provides room for further consideration. Based on this research, it is assumed that game-based software tools help students learn. Therefore, further in the course of this paper, the results obtained in a student-led survey on the impact of a game-based software tool - Kahoot! to student learning in higher education.
3 Methodology This research aimed to examine the satisfaction and impact of using software tools – Kahoot! to students who used it in teaching based on the following research questions: RQ(1): Does Kahoot! influence student motivation? RQ(2): To what extent does Kahoot! affect student engagement and learning? RQ(3): Have students accepted the use of game-based software tools in learning? RQ(4): Does Kahoot! have a better impact on the online learning environment? An electronic survey was conducted through December 2019–January 2020 at the end of the first semester on students using Kahoot! during class, and the results are presented in [9]. The extended electronic survey was conducted once again in June 2020 at the end of the second semester. Compared to the previous research [9], Kahoot! was used exclusively in an online learning environment. The reason is that in the second semester, all forms of lectures were performed remotely, because of the Covid19. Previous research shows that students easily accept the online learning environment [14]. The goal of this paper is to test if Kahoot! is more accepted in the online learning environment. The survey consisted of ten questions, where the first two questions classified students based on their gender and study year. The remaining eight questions regarded the impact of the Kahoot! tool in their work, engagement, motivation, and learning. Participants in the survey were students of the Faculty of Technical Sciences who used a game-based software tool – Kahoot!. This tool is used in such a way that teachers prepared questions for students and used them to repeat the material during class, while students answered questions and competed among themselves. At the end of the semester, students who were involved in the courses in which Kahoot! has been used, completed the survey. A total of 184 responses was collected.
4 Results and Discussion The obtained results show that the respondents are students coming from different study years of Information System Engineering [15] at the Faculty of Technical Sciences. The learning environment for students in this field is very important and is constantly working to improve the learning experience in laboratories and the online learning environment
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[15]. Most of the respondents are in the second year of study (35%), the first year (26%), third-year students (14%), students fourth year (18%), and minority are from master studies (7%). All respondents used Kahoot! during classes (Fig. 1).
I year of study 18%
II year of study III year of study IV year of study
7%
26%
14% 35%
V year of study
Fig. 1. Demographic characteristics of the respondents by the year of study (source: author’s survey)
The first thing investigated among the respondents was if Kahoot! helped them to repeat the coursework. Most of the respondents answered that the use of Kahoot! helped them to repeat the material (92.2%), while far fewer (5.5%) expressed that Kahoot! did not facilitate the repetition of the material during the course. The rest of the respondents did not express their position on this issue. Next, the question of interest is the extent to which students consider Kahoot! encouraged them in active involvement in teaching. Most respondents said that they felt that using such a tool encouraged them to be actively involved in teaching (91.9%). The rest of the respondents said they generally disagreed with the fact that Kahoot! had an impact on their involvement in teaching. These student responses agree with the assumption that the inclusion of GSRS tools in teaching encourages the active involvement of students in teaching and the topic currently addressed [4]. The concept of this tool also involves competition between the students when it comes to answering the questions posed by the teacher, fostered positive competition, and whether it affected their learning motivation. Most of the students answered that the use of Kahoot! tools encouraged positive competition (87.4%), while the rest of the respondents did not express their views on this issue. When it comes to assessing the influence of this tool and the competition between students on their motivation, the respondents in the majority estimate that Kahoot! positively influenced their motivation (89.7%), while the rest of the students (10.3%) expressed their disagreement with this statement. The next group of questions relates to the general view on the inclusion of gamification in learning and studies. First, the question of interest is whether students consider Kahoot! and tools similar to it should be included in other subjects in studies – most respondents said they agreed with this statement (62.7%), while a minority, but still a large percentage of students, said that such a tool should not be included in all subjects in studies (25.6%). The rest of the students did not have an opinion on this issue.
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Asked if students felt that including gamification in learning facilitated their learning, the respondents answered, in the majority, that such tools did affect facilitated learning (41.6%), while a certain number of students (52.5%) said that gamification did not affect facilitated learning. The remaining number of students did not express their views on this question. Such difference in responses was expected, given that gamification-based tools should support learning and facilitate the repetition of teaching materials, and have no impact on student learning alone [8]. Also, when asked whether engaging with gamification in learning reduces the time they need to learn, students in the minority respond affirmatively (42.4%), while most students (57.6%) say that gamification does not affect the time they need to master some material. Lastly, students respond positively to the most common question about their attitude regarding the use of gaming in learning. The majority of students report that the use of gamification in learning has a positive effect on their learning performance and contributes to the easier repetition of the course material (88.8%). In comparison, a significantly smaller number of students (10.8%) stated that the use of such tools does not affect their learning performance, and the rest of the students (0.4%) stated that using such tools had a negative effect on their learning. Graphically presented in Fig. 2.
10.8%
0.4%
Posive Neutral
88.8%
Negave
Fig. 2. Effect of using gamification on students learning performance (source: author’s survey)
Table 1. Results from previous research [9] RQ
Survey statement
Agreed
Disagreed
RQ1
Kahoot! encouraged students’ active involvement in teaching
78%
22%
RQ1
Kahoot! encourages positive competition among students
83.3%
16.7%
RQ2
Kahoot! helped students’ to repeat coursework
87.3%
12.7%
RQ2
Kahoot! facilitates student learning
27%
73%
RQ3
Gamification has a positive effect on students’ learning performance
86%
14%
Compared to the results obtained in the previous research, presented in Table 1, it is found that students respond better to the use of Kahoot! in an online learning environment
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(RQ4). Each of the survey statements has a higher percentage of agreement within the research conducted in the online learning environment (RQ4). The results of the research are presented in Table 2. Table 2. Survey results RQ
Survey statement
Agreed
Disagreed
RQ1
Kahoot! encouraged students’ active involvement in teaching
91.9%
RQ1
Kahoot! encourages positive competition among students
87%
RQ2
Kahoot! helped students’ to repeat coursework
92.2%
7.8%
RQ2
Kahoot! facilitates student learning
41.6%
58.4%
RQ3
Gamification has a positive effect on students’ learning performance
88.8%
11.2%
8.1% 12.6%
5 Conclusion The rapid development of technology has contributed to significant changes in education, which calls into question the effectiveness of the traditional approach to teaching and the repetition of materials in higher education. Based on the research conducted, it became clear that students are ready to include a game-based software tool - Kahoot! (RQ3) in the teaching environment and that it positively influences their involvement in a unit that is in the process of repeating material or is currently being processed. Compared to previous research [9], we conclude that students use Kahoot! gives an even better result in terms of online learning (RQ4). Kahoot!, as an example of a game-based software tool, students have widely recognized as a tool that positively influences their motivation in the process of acquiring new knowledge and repetition of material (RQ1). Also, the fact that such a tool should be used in teaching environments, as well as students’ suitability for learning, can be confirmed by analyzing the respondents’ answers regarding the inclusion of gamification and in other subjects in studies, where most have confirmed that they believe that game-based software tools should be introduced in most subjects in studies. When it comes to motivation, we must also analyze the competitive concept of such tools. Kahoot! was rated by the respondents as a tool that influences the creation of positive competition between students which also influences students’ motivation during the course (RQ1). On the other hand, when asked whether such a tool influences the facilitated repetition of the learned - the repetition of the material processed in the previous units, most students respond positively, which leads us to the conclusion that the use of such a tool in the repetition of the material, as one of the segments of learning, has a positive impact on students and their results (RQ2). Finally, based on this research, it is concluded that students respond positively to the introduction of Kahoot! tools and tools based on gamification and open access to new technology in teaching.
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References 1. Licorish, S.A., Owen, H.E.: Students’ perception of Kahoot!’s influence on teaching and learning. Res. Pract. Technol. Enhanc. Learn. 13, 1–23 (2018) 2. Hartley, J., Davies, K.: Note taking: a critical review. Program. Learn. Educ. Technol. 15, 207–224 (1978) 3. Exeter, D.J., Ameratunga, S., Ratima, M., Jackson, R.: Student engagement in very large classes: the teachers’ pespectives. Stud. High. Educ. 35, 761–775 (2010) 4. Wang, A.: The wear out effect of game-based student response system. Comput. Educ. 82, 217–227 (2015) 5. Plumb, J.L.C.: Using Kahoot! in the classroom to create engagement and active learning, a game based technology solution for eLearning novices. Manage. Teach. Rev. 2, 151–158 (2017) 6. Nicol, D., Macfarlane-Dick, D.: Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Stud. High. Educ. 31, 199–218 (2006) 7. Adesope, O., Bayly, D., Hunsu, N.: A meta-analysis of the effects of audionce response systemst (clicker-base technologies) cognition and affect. Comput. Educ. 94, 102–119 (2016) 8. Cugelman, B.: Gamification: what it is and why it matters to digital health behavior change developers. JMIR Ser. Games 1, e3139 (2013) 9. Nikoli´c, D., Havzi, S., Narandži´c, D., Daki´c, D., Jankovi´c, A.: Inovativne metode uˇcenja u visokom obrazovanju integracijom softverskog alata Kahoot!. In: TREND. Kopaonik (2020) 10. Domínguez, A., Saenz-de-Navarrete, J., De-Marcos, L., Fernández-Sanz, L.: Gamifiying learning experiences: practical implications and outcomes. Comput. Educ. 63, 380–392 (2013) 11. Giannetto, D., Chao, J., Fontana, A.: Gamification in a social learning environment. In: Informing Science and Information Technology (2013) 12. Seng, W.Y.M.: Computer game as learning and teaching tool for object oriented programing in higher education institution. Elsevier (2014) 13. Mathrani, A., Christian, S., Ponder-Sutton, A.: Game base learning approach for teaching programming conepts. Educ. Technol. Soc. 19, 5–17 (2016) 14. Loli´c, T., Risti´c, S., Stefanovi´c, D., Marjanovi´c, U.: Acceptance of E-learning system at faculty of techincal sciences. In: Proceedings of the Central European Conference on Information and Intelligent Systems (2018) 15. Stevanov, B., Stefanovi´c, D., Anderla, A., Sladojevi´c, S., Tasi´c, N.: New approach to information systems engineering study. Int. J. Eng. Educ. 33(4), 1–11 (2017)
Improving the Reliability of Pneumatic Control Systems by Using Remotely-Controlled One-Way Flow Control Valve Vule Relji´c(B)
, Želimir Triši´c, Dragan Šešlija , and Ivana Milenkovi´c
Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovi´ca 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. In order to achieve an adequate level of flexibility and reliability in the traditional industrial plants, in line with the Industry 4.0 approach, they need to be upgraded by integrating modern control procedures. This means developing new control algorithms, integrating new components into the system, etc. This paper presents a new phase in the development and implementation of a remotelycontrolled one-way flow control valve, which is used for the remote control of actuator velocity in pneumatic control systems, during the working process. In this way, the optimum, not the maximum possible actuator velocity at all times is enabled. This directly effects the reliability of the system as it extends the working life of component. Keywords: Remote flow control · Velocity control · Pneumatic control systems · Reliability
1 Introduction In order to achieve an adequate level of flexibility and reliability in the traditional industrial plants, in line with the Industry 4.0 approach [1], they need to be upgraded by integrating modern control procedures. This means developing new control algorithms, integrating new components into the system, etc. Accordingly, the major global manufacturers are trying to improve their products by integrating modern electronic and computer technologies. These changes did not bypass pneumatic equipment. Right on their ability to adapt to new technologies, the pneumatic systems have remained a practically indispensable part of industrial processes for decades. They are present both inside (on the equipment that is used for the production or material handling) and outside factories (in the case of transporting and delivering products). Modern pneumatic systems require the use of advanced equipment, and today, the major worldwide manufacturers are making digital valve terminals. In this way, using single hardware element, with the appropriate control electronics and the appropriate software solutions, it is possible to replace a large number of traditional components. The main disadvantage of using such technologies is the high cost, because such solutions (for example, Festo Motion Terminal VTEM [2]) require the use of specific, piezo valves. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 64–70, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_9
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Depending on the needs and capabilities of the production system, sometimes, only one part of the production process needs to be raised to a higher level of automation. Accordingly, it is sometimes necessary to install only one additional component and implement the appropriate software solution to achieve the required results. Thus, pneumatic equipment manufacturers have developed electrically operated pressure regulators to allow the change of value of the operating pressure, during the operation process, without direct physical contact with the component, in order to reduce the compressed air consumption. This directly influences the improvement of the production process as it reduces energy consumption [3], which is in line with the basic Industry 4.0 approach. Modern electrically controlled pressure regulators are designed so that the electromotor is connected to the head of the regulator adjusting screw via a suitable coupling, and the pressure value is adjusted by turning the shaft of the electromotor instead of manually turning the screw. In addition, a non-return valve in parallel with the pressure regulator as well as an outlet pressure sensor are installed. In this way, a new modular unit is obtained. Traditional pressure regulator becomes “smart” and can continuously communicate with the control system and other components. The development of new elements also requires the development of new symbols, so, for the previously mentioned pressure regulator, is proposed a new symbol [4]. Another important parameter (in addition to operating pressure) in pneumatic systems is compressed air flow. The compressed air flow refers to the amount of compressed air which are flowing through a corresponding cross-section in a time unit. One way for change the flow rate, which effects on the actuator velocity, is to use a one-way flow control valve. The amount of compressed air which is flowing can be controlled in one direction by turning the conical bolt. One-way flow control valves are components that are very commonly used because it is desirable that the actuator operates at optimum rather than maximum possible velocity. This also effects the extension of the working life of component and further improve the reliability of the system. In accordance with the need for the remote flow control, in order for the actuator to operate at the optimum velocity at all times, during the working process, at Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad is developed a remotely-controlled one-way flow control valve. In this paper, a new phase of its development is presented. The previous versions of this component are shown in the papers [5, 6]. Also, in paper [7] is proposed a new symbol for the newly developed component. The paper is organized as follows: Sect. 2 shows the experimental setup for the component development, as well as the mechanical construction of the component. In Sect. 3 is presented a test application for remote control of a component as well as the obtained results. Finally, in Sect. 4, the most important conclusions are drawn and directions for further research are presented.
2 Remotely-Controlled One-Way Flow Control Valve During the development of this component, one-way flow control valve, type GRA-1/4B, from Festo, was used. It was integrated into the experimental setup shown in Fig. 1 (1V1). A stepper motor was connected to one-way flow control valve via a suitable coupling. The value of compressed air flow at the output of one-way flow control valve
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was measured for different positions of the stepper motor, by using Air Box laboratory [8]. The percentage of openness of the valve was changed from fully closed to fully open, in precisely defined steps. It was determined experimentally that with the increasing of the percentage of openness of the one-way flow control valve, the compressed air flow rate increases and, at one point, enters in a saturation, thus reaching the upper and maximum value. This maximum value changes in accordance with the change of operating pressure. It was found that the maximum flow rate is, for example, 90 l/min for operating pressure of 2 bar, or 180 l/min for operating pressure of 5 bar and 6 bar.
Fig. 1. Experimental determination of flow values: Pneumatic control scheme (left). Experimental setup (right).
In the next step, by using polyfit function in MATLAB, which returns the coefficients for a polynomial p(x) of degree n, are defined the inverse polynomial functions that describe the dependence of the number of steps of a stepper motor and the compressed air flow rate (which is the value specified by the user). These functions are three-segmented ones, due to the optimal reduction of the function approximation error. It should be noted that for different values of operating pressure, the polynomial functions have the same degree but different coefficients. Thus, for example, for a value of operating pressure of 2 bar, the obtained functions are expressed by formulas 1–3: • for flow values up to 16.2 l/min: y = −0.9456x5 + 53.1125x4 − 1162.9x3 + 12361x2 − 63249x + 12431
(1)
• for a flow values between 16.2 l/min and 53.44 l/min: y = 0.0079x3 − 2.0819x2 + 181.7664x − 95.6121
(2)
• for flow values which are exceeding 53.44 l/min: y = −0.0029x3 + 1.0739x2 − 59.8008x + 5476.9
(3)
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wherein, in all three formulas, y is the number of steps of stepper motor, and x is the value of flow. The physical realization of the prototype of the valve is shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2. The prototype of remotely-controlled one-way flow control valve, without cover.
As mentioned above, the remotely-controlled one-way flow control valve consists of a standard one-way flow control valve, in this case, type GRA-1/4 -B, from Festo (Fig. 2, position 1), appropriate coupling (Fig. 2, position 2) and stepper motor, NEMA 14 (Fig. 2, position 3). The Arduino NANO microcontroller development environment (Fig. 2, position 4) was used to control the operation of the stepper motor. The connection between the microcontroller and the stepper motor was made by using the appropriate driver (Fig. 2, position 5). The main housing (Fig. 2, position 6), as well as all the necessary mounts, was made on a 3D printer, by PLA. Several holes were made on the housing: for the power ports (Fig. 2, position 7), for the Arduino NANO USB port (below), and for the ports of one-way flow control valve (Fig. 2, position 8). The right side of the housing is partially provided in a grid, due to cooling.
3 The Software Solution For the purpose of testing of a developed prototype of remotely -controlled one-way flow control valve, an application called “Remotely_controlled_one_way_flow_control_valve.exe” was developed, in the Java programming language (Fig. 3). A standard serial RS 232 communication protocol is used to establish a connection between the main control unit, the Arduino NANO microcontroller development environment, and the server computer, on which is installed the user application.
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Therefore, at the beginning of the work, it is necessary to enter the name of the communication port, for example “COM 1”, in the field “Select communication port” (Fig. 3, position 1). The baud rate is predefined. In the next step, by click on the button named “Connect” (Fig. 3, position 2), the connection is establishing. If the connection is established successfully, in the field named “STATUS” will be displayed a text: “The device is successfully connected”. Otherwise, it will be displayed a text: “Connection failed. Please try again”.
Fig. 3. User application
In the next step, the user defines the value of the operating pressure by clicking on the desired button (Fig. 3, position 3). In this application which is used for testing the functionality and accuracy of the developed prototype, there are three defined values of operating pressure: 2 bar, 5 bar and 6 bar. After that, the user enters the desired compressed air flow (Fig. 3, position 4), which must be in the predefined range, from zero to maximum value (90 l/min for operating pressure of 2 bar, or 180 l/min for operating pressure of 5 bar and 6 bar). By clicking on the button named “Confirm” (Fig. 3, position 5), the parameters are being sent to the microcontroller. According to a predetermined algorithm, the microcontroller adjusts the position of the stepper motor, and controls the operation of the one-way flow control valve. If the value of the desired compressed air flow is outside of the defined range, after clicking on the button named “Confirm”, in the field named “STATUS” will be displayed a text: “The defined flow is not within the permitted limits. Please, enter the new flow value again”. Otherwise, after calculating the rpm, the microcontroller will adjust the position of the stepper motor, and thus the remotely-controlled one-way flow control valve will give the desired compressed air flow. 3.1 Testing and Results By using Air Box laboratory, from Festo, the achieved values for the compressed air flow, for the operating pressure of 6 bar, were measured. The obtained results, which
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were used to test the accuracy and the repeatability of the developed remotely control one-way flow control valve, are shown in Table 1. The ordinal numbers of the tests are shown using Roman numerals from I to III. By analyzing the results is concluded that the maximum absolute error, which is calculated as the difference between the achieved and desired value, is −4.14 l/min, at a desired compressed air flow of 176 l/min. Considering that this is a non-feedback control system, the obtained results can be rated as very good. Table 1. The results of measuring the achieved value of the compressed air flow on the newly developed remotely-controlled one-way flow control valve, for the operating pressure of 6 bar. The desired value of compressed air flow (l/min)
The achieved value of compressed air flow (l/min) I
48
II 48.42
47.9
III 48.15
80
80.02
79.56
80.01
128
126.58
127.45
126.23
156
154.22
152.84
154.64
176
172.23
171.86
172.87
4 Conclusion In this paper is shown a new phase in the development and implementation of a remotelycontrolled one-way flow control valve, which is used for the velocity control in the pneumatic control systems, during the working process. The application of this component in pneumatic control systems is in line with the Industry 4.0 approach. Namely, using of this valve has direct effect on the extending of the working life of component and, thus, directly effects the reliability of the system, because it allows the optimum actuator velocity at all times. By using this valve, the compressed air flow can be changed during the working process at any time, in accordance with the current requirement. The future research will relate to further improvement of the developed component. Compared to existing software, a new way of accessing the main control device, the Arduino NANO microcontroller development environment, via Wi-Fi communication, will be implemented. Also, the transfer functions (that describe the dependence of the number of steps of a stepper motor and the compressed air flow rate), for the other values of operating pressure (for example, 3 bar and 4 bar), will be determined. On the other hand, compared to the existing hardware, it is possible to remove the server computer and to avoid the use of wire conductors, as well as to change the stepper motor driver, which would reduce the required space and thus the overall dimensions of the device, etc.
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References 1. VDI nacrhichten, Industrie 4.0. https://www.vdi-nachrichten.com/Technik-Gesellschaft/Indust rie-40-Mit-Internet-Dinge-Weg-4-industriellen-Revolution. Accessed 24 Feb 2020 2. Festo Motion Terminal VTEM. https://www.festo.com/vtem/nl/cms/motion-terminal.htm. Accessed 26 Feb 2020 3. Šešlija, D., Dudi´c, S., Milenkovi´c, I.: Cost effectiveness analysis of pressure regulation method on pneumatic cylinder circuit. Int. Energy J. 17(2), 89–98 (2017) 4. Festo Electrical Pressure Regulators MS6N-LRE. https://www.festo.com/media/pim/713/D15 000100122713.PDF. Accessed 28 Feb 2020 5. Šulc, J., Relji´c, V., Bajˇci, B., Šešlija, D., Buaˇc, T.: Development of pneumatic valve remote control. In: 8th International PSU-UNS International Conference on Engineering and Technology Proceedings, pp. 1–4. Faculty of Technical Sciences, Novi Sad (2017) 6. Bajˇci, B., Dudi´c, S., Šulc, J., Relji´c, V., Šešlija, D., Milenkovi´c, I.: Using remotely controlled one-way flow control valve for speed regulation of pneumatic cylinder. In: Auer, M., Langmann, R. (eds.) REV 2018. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol. 47, pp. 144–152. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95678-7_16 7. Relji´c, V., Šešlija, D., Milenkovi´c, I., Bajˇci, B., Dudi´c, S, Šulc, J.: Concept of remotely controlled digital pneumatic system in accordance with industry 4.0 approach. In: 5th Experiment@ International Conference Proceedings, pp. 419–423. University of Madeira, Funchal (2019) 8. Festo AirBox type GHDA-FQ-M-FDMJ-A – Operating instructions (2006)
Toward Real-Time Data Analytics Application for Industry 4.0 Bojana Bajic1 , Nikola Suzic2 , Nenad Simeunovic1 , Slobodan Moraca1 , and Aleksandar Rikalovic1(B) 1 Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Faculty of Technical Sciences,
University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia {bojana.bajic,a.rikalovic}@uns.ac.rs 2 Department of Management and Engineering, University of Padova, Stradella S. Nicola 3, 36100 Vicenza, Italy
Abstract. The Industry 4.0 is moving the production towards smart production systems, based on new technologies (i.e. Internet of Things, Cyber-Physical Systems, Cloud Computing, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence). Companies rightfully have high expectations of Industry 4.0. However, one of the major obstacles is how to transform reactive, via proactive, to predictive production systems. The predictive production systems are new type of intelligent production systems that enable the implementation of new technologies for discovering hidden information in the raw production data, this way enabling prediction and prevention of errors that could occur in production. The discovery of hidden information in the raw data is enabled by the real-time predictive data analytics on the basis of which the real-time decision making models are applied in the production system. The present study proposes a conceptual framework for real-time data analytics for Industry 4.0. The framework is developed based on the analysis of the available literature and informed with direct experience in implementing Industry 4.0 technologies in practice. Keywords: Real-time data analytics · Industry 4.0 · Predictive production systems · Edge computing · Cloud computing
1 Introduction The development of information and communication technologies offers opportunity to transform traditional production into a smart production. This digital transformation concept significantly impacts production processes and drives the fourth industrial revolution - Industry 4.0 [1]. Development of Industry 4.0 technologies (e.g. Internet of Things (IoT), CyberPhysical Systems (CPS), Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence) results with the constant increment of amount of data obtained during production processes. Moreover, generation of large amount of raw data in production systems, called Big Data [2, 3], is becoming a key for optimizing production process and improving competitiveness [4, 5]. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 71–78, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_10
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Thus, in this way, the data acquired across the product life-cycle can be converted into knowledge with positive impact on all aspects of production [6]. However, Big Data with all the positive expectations also brings challenges not encountered by production companies until now. Specifically, the biggest challenge today’s production faces is the processing and analysis of Big Data. Consequently, the Big Data speeds up the development of data analytics technology for detecting hidden information among data collected by different machines and devices in the production processes using advanced analytical techniques (advanced statistical analysis, machine learning and expert systems). In this way, the emphasis is put on eliminating the issues that arise in production systems [7]. Another challenge of using Big Data is that very often it cannot be processed and analyzed using the existing software applications and personal computers due to insufficient processing power [4]. Therefore, new technologies, such as Cloud and Edge Computing, are using advanced data analytic techniques to detect hidden information to overcome the problems of processing and analyzing of the generated data. The discovery of hidden information in the raw data is enabled by the real-time predictive data analytics. Based on real-time predictive data analytics, the real-time decision making models are applied in the production system [8] transforming a reactive production system into predictive. The predictive production systems enable proactive behavior permitting to anticipate the error before it occurs in the production process and to instantly take appropriate actions to avoid it [9]. Thus, we argue that in the near future of Industry 4.0 the real-time data analytics will play a mayor role in the development of the predictive production systems with ability of processing and analysing the data as it is generated in real-time [10]. The present research contributes to the body of real-time data analytics literature by proposing a conceptual framework for development of real-time predictive model for data analytics. Notably, the proposed framework represents the basis for development of real-time data predictive models based on datasets collected from production process. The present paper is organized as follows. Section 2 provides a theoretical background of real-time data analytics for smart production systems and details on the research method. Section 3 proposes framework for real-time data analytics for Industry 4.0. Finally, Sect. 4 derives conclusions and provides information on the future research.
2 Theoretical Background and Research Method This section summarizes the state of the art of the research in the subject fields, namely: Industry 4.0, Predictive production systems, IoT, and real-time data analytics for smart production. Further, the research method is provided. 2.1 Background: Real-Time Data Analytics for Smart Production Industry 4.0 - Recently, Industry 4.0, has become one of the major research and development topics for industry and academia [7, 8]. The concept of Industry 4.0 can be defined in different ways, depending on the point of view and field of inquiry [1, 7]. In the present research, the used definition of Industry 4.0 observed through lens of production processes in industry and the application of data science based on data analytics,
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reads: “Industry 4.0 is a concept that aims to increase production processes efficiency by collecting and interpreting data using data analytic techniques (e.g. data mining, statistical analysis etc.) and developing of predictive models based on which real-time decisions are made and executed” [11]. Predictive Production Systems - Intelligent production systems represent new generation of production systems that include hardware parts of equipment and machines, and software components [2, 6]. These production systems use techniques such as expert systems, fuzzy logic, statistics and machine learning [3] for production processes control [2]. One of the biggest challenges of production processes control is the transition from reactive to proactive production system. On the one hand, reactive production systems apply a posteriori inspections to detect defects (i.e. machine failures or defect products) at the end of the production process and reactively implement changes in the production system [2]. On the other hand, proactive production system use predictive (i.e. a priori) approach that aims to prevent machine failures or defect products from being manufactured in the first place [2]. Predictive production systems are a type of proactive Industry 4.0 intelligent production systems [4]. Thus, according to the previously said, predictive production systems predict an error occurrence inside the system and take adequate actions for avoiding the error to occur at all [4]. The real-time data analytics represents the future of the predictive production systems since it enables the data to be processed and analysed while it is generated in real-time [10]. Internet of Things (IoT) - The increasing availability of production data is changing the way decisions are taken in industry regarding predictive maintenance and quality improvement using data analytical methods [12]. The implementation of advanced Industry 4.0 technology, namely Internet of Things (IoT) allows the higher availability of production data due to it’s ability of connecting different devices, communication technologies, sensor networks, Internet protocols, tags for RFID devices and so on [13]. The IoT combined with data analytics, can enable predictive production and networked production environments [4] for real-time data analytics [10]. Real Time Data Analytics - Data analytics, as a part of data science field, represents a practice for revealing hidden information among data collected from various devices further enabling real-time decision making in production systems using real-time data analytics [7]. Real-time data analytics, as a part of data analytics, refers to analytical techniques where data is processed and analysed while it is generated, in real-time [10] or near to real-time [14]. Among the available real-time data analytics research [15, 16] the main focus is put on real-time monitoring and quality controling without predictive abilities. Moreover, the recent systematic literature review [11] showed that data analytics implementation challenges are the most frequently addressed in the Industry 4.0 literature. Specifically, “the inability to achieve real-time maintenance” is one of these challenges ([11] based on [17]). The present research adds to discussion present in this literature stream.
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2.2 Research Method According to Phaal et al. [18] the term “conceptual” implies “concerned with the abstraction or understanding of a situation”, while “framework” implies “supports understanding and communication of structure and relationship within a system for a defined purpose” (Phaal et al. [18] based on Shehabuddeen et al. [19]). Thus, conceptual frameworks “support understanding of an issue or area of study, provide structure, and support decision making and action” [18]. Conceptual frameworks are “needed to guide thinking about technology management, based on well-founded theoretical principles” [20]. The present research proposes a conceptual framework [18, 20] for real-time data analytics application for Industry 4.0. It does so by reviewing the relevant literature and conceptualizing a framework based on the findings. The proposed framework for real time data analytics is composed of three parts, namely: system characteristics, dataset characteristics, and IoT network infrastructure. Notably, the research presented is supported and additionally informed by researchers’ insights obtained during the implementation of Industry 4.0 in industrial practice [21].
3 Proposed Framework for Real-Time Data Analytics for Industry 4.0 In the present research, we propose a framework for application of real-time data analytics for Industry 4.0 in production system (Fig. 1). The proposed framework is composed of: production system characteristics, dataset characteristics, and IoT network infrastructure.
Fig. 1. Proposed framework for real-time data analytics
Production System Characteristics - Notably, we need to know and understand production system characteristics in order to determine if it is possible to develop a real-time data analytical predictive model for the observed production system [22]. Without production system characteristics it is very hard to imagine a real-time predictive model, because in general predictive model development is built on the characteristics of the production system it is meant to serve. Notably, production system that moves towards
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implementation of real-time data analytics tends to have a high level of automatization and high level of digitalization which together enable real-time data acquisition [23] (Fig. 1). Also, expert knowledge must not be neglected, because there is a need for complete openness, sincerity, tight collaboration and constant communication between industry and researchers in order to obtain the synergy needed [24] for achieving realtime predictive production system. In this collaboration, industry practitioners provide the know-how on the observed production process, while researchers develop predictive models and test them in production systems [24] to improve the performances of the processes using real-time data analytics. Based on data acquired from production system, the dataset is formed. Dataset Characteristics - Basic characteristics of acquired dataset are data volume, dataset type, dataset structure, dataset values and data change rate. In the following we elaborate on all five Data characteristics needed for implementation of real-time data analytics. • Data volume - It is a generally accepted opinion that a large amount of data is necessary for the development of a predictive model for real-time data analytics [25]. However, recent research [26] points out the importance of small dataset in developing predictive models. Therefore, we argue that small carefully selected dataset based on experts’ knowledge can provide an accurate prediction that is comparable with predictive models developed based on a medium or large dataset. • Data type - The development of the predictive model with ability of real-time data analysis largely depends on the type of the data collected over a period of time in production systems [5]. Therefore, it is necessary to select a dataset without incomplete, homogeneous or noise data, which can disrupt the quality of a dataset [27, 28]. Thus, a high-quality dataset is crucial for developing an effective predictive model. A high-quality dataset is considered to consist of a certain number of samples from the periods when production system worked without problems, interruptions and difficulties, as well as a certain amount of data when certain problems occurred in the system [1]. Data samples from the periods when production system worked without any problems, interruptions and difficulties are defined as non-fault data samples, while data samples when certain problems occurred in the system are defined as fault data samples. Notably, the difficulty lies in finding of balance between the number of non-fault data samples and the number of fault data samples in order to obtain a varied dataset. • Data structure - Production data is usually not in a format that can be used directly for data analysis [29]. Nevertheless, predictive models require a structured dataset. This means that dataset needs to be in the form of a matrix containing rows and columns, that is it is necessary for the dataset to be structured as a two-dimensional matrix [30]. The rows of the matrix represent all identified independent parameters, as well as one dependent parameter determined by the expert knowledge, while the columns correspond to each individual case (sample) recorded during the production process. Even though dataset needs to be in the structured form, in majority of cases the collected dataset is available in semi-structured and unstructured form. If the data is available in a semi-structured or unstructured form, the additional efforts are needed to convert the data into a usable structured form.
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• Data values - Different values of dataset can be generated in production process, namely: categorical, continuous or combination of these two. On the one hand, for categorical variables, it is suggested that they are converted into binary value (e.g. value of variable can be either 0 or 1). If there are more than two levels in the categorical variable, a series of dummy variables should be used, where each defining the presence of a level [31]. On the other hand, continuous variables are numeric variables that have an infinite number of values between any two values. In other words, continuous values are numeric values [32]. Therefore, when collecting a dataset for development of a predictive model for real-time data analytics, the best choice is to use continuous value of a production parameter. • Data change rate - Nowadays, large volumes of data are daily generated at high rate from heterogeneous sources during production process due to use of fast production equipment. This leads to fast change of data rate representing the frequency at which data is generated, captured, and shared [33]. Thus, the data arrives in stream and must be analyzed in real-time. That represents a difficulty for developing predictive model for real-time data analytics based on high-rate changing data. Therefore, in order to develop a reliable predictive model for real-time data analytics, the slow-rate changing data represents better option. IoT Network Infrastructure - When considering the formed dataset, taking into account the characteristics of the production system, we need to choose IoT network infrastructure. The possibility of developing a predictive model for real-time data analytics depends on the right choice of IoT network infrastructure, i.e. Cloud Computing or Edge Computing. Bajic et al. [34] compare the Cloud and Edge Computing and stress out that these technologies do not rule out one another, but complement each other. However, on the one hand, the disadvantage of Cloud Computing is represented in the longer processing and computing times as well as a slower response time which prevents the implementation of real-time data analytics [34]. On the other hand, Edge Computing enables the data generation at the network edge reducing the distance that data must travel on the network enabling real-time data analytics implementation [34].
4 Conclusions and Future Work The present research develops a framework for real-time data analytics (Fig. 1). It does so by analyzing the relevant literature and subsequently conceptualizing a corresponding framework. The framework is meant to serve as starting point for companies that would like to implement real-time data analytics as a part of transformation towards Industry 4.0. The proposed framework is composed of three parts, namely: system characteristics, dataset characteristics, and IoT network infrastructure. The research goes in detail with the dataset characteristics analysis. In the future work, the developed conceptual framework for the real-time data analytics will be further refined and elaborated. Additionally, the research will move towards testing the proposed framework with the companies interested in implementing real-time data analytics.
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22. Milosevic, Z., Chen, W., Berry, A., Rabhi, F.A.: Real-time analytics. In: Big Data: Principles and Paradigms, no. 2016, pp. 39–61 (2016) 23. Schmidt, R., Möhring, M., Härting, R.-C., Reichstein, C., Neumaier, P., Jozinovi´c, P.: Industry 4.0 - potentials for creating smart products: empirical research results. In: Abramowicz, W. (ed.) BIS 2015. LNBIP, vol. 208, pp. 16–27. Springer, Cham (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/ 978-3-319-19027-3_2 24. Ankrah, S., Al-Tabbaa, O.: Universities-industry collaboration: a systematic review. Scand. J. Manag. 31(3), 387–408 (2015) 25. Oussous, A., Benjelloun, F.Z., Ait Lahcen, A., Belfkih, S.: Big Data technologies: a survey. J. King Saud Univ. - Comput. Inf. Sci. 30(4), 431–448 (2018) 26. Feng, S., Zhou, H., Dong, H.: Using deep neural network with small dataset to predict material defects. Mater. Des. 162, 300–310 (2019) 27. Zhang, S., Zhang, C., Yang, Q.: Data preparation for data mining. Appl. Artif. Intell. 17(5–6), 375–381 (2003) 28. Hariri, R.H., Fredericks, E.M., Bowers, K.M.: Uncertainty in big data analytics: survey, opportunities, and challenges. J. Big Data 6(1), 1–16 (2019) 29. Gupta, D.: Applied Analytics Through Case Studies Using SAS and R, 1st edn. Apress (2018) 30. Abbott, D.: Applied Predictive Analytics: Principles and Techniques for the Professional Data Analyst, 1st edn. Wiley, Hoboken (2014) 31. Yenidünya, B.: Robust design with binary response using Mahalanobis Taguchi system (2009) 32. Sarstedt, M., Mooi, E.: Regression analysis. In: A Concise Guide to Market Research: The process, Data, and Methods Using IBM SPSS Statistics, 1st edn., pp. 193–233. Springer, Berlin (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-53965-7_7 33. Riahi, Y., Riahi, S.: Big data and big data analytics: concepts, types and technologies. Int. J. Res. Eng. 5(9), 524–528 (2018) 34. Bajic, B., Cosic, I., Katalinic, B., Moraca, S., Lazarevic, M., Rikalovic, A.: Edge computing vs. cloud computing: challenges and opportunities in industry 4.0. In: 30TH DAAAM International Symposium on Intelligent Manufacturing and Automation, no. December, pp. 864–871 (2019)
Software Tools to Support Visualising Systematic Literature Review Darko Stefanovic , Sara Havzi(B) , Ivana Spasojevic , Teodora Lolic , and Sonja Ristic Faculty of Technical Sciences, The University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 6, Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. A systematic literature review is a sine qua non for performing significant research in the selected field. However, it is a complex, error-prone and time-consuming process. In order to reduce the probability of errors’ occurrence during the literature review process, as well as to make it easier for researchers to perform this process, tools that support systematic literature review (SLR) are developed. Visualisation is essential for the conducting of SLR. There is a lack of researches about the software tools that could support SLR process by means of visualisation. This paper focuses on identifying visualisation tools that are currently used in practice to support SLR process. In the paper, we present and com- pare four tools in order to provide valuable information on current visualisation trends in the context of SLR, best practices, and preferable characteristics of visualisation tools for SLR.
1 Introduction It is not possible to perform significant research without a deep understanding of the research area and mastering the literature that is fundamental in the area. However, if the review of the literature is not thorough, it usually has low scientific value. To make the literature review thorough and substantial, it takes to bring in specific rules, strategies and methods to the review. The literature review process that provides a predefined search strategy and is mostly used in scientific researches is a systematic literature review (SLR) [1]. The development of information technology results in an increased amount of data that is accessible to researchers. Since the number of data sources, which are available online, is growing every day, the usage of information technology with a research purposes means that the volume of conducted researches is increased and, consequently, literature growth over time is faster [2]. There are many kinds of research focused on developing and evaluating guidelines for conducting systematic literature reviews [3–8]. However, the support tools that could improve the quality or complexity of the systematic literature review process have not received the same level of attention. Koch and Naotsugu claim [9] that among all the senses, vision is considered very dominant as it has a wide bit-rate of consumed information capacity for sensing. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 79–86, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_11
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Keeping that in mind, visualisation tools are very important in the context of SLR process support. This paper focuses on an overview of the tools that use visualisation and can be employed for conducting a systematic literature review. In order to give an overview of how systematic literature review could be supported by using different visualisation software solutions, systematic literature review activities are presented, and suitable tools with their features are proposed. The remainder of the paper is organised as follows. The basic concepts of systematic literature review and related work are presented in Sect. 2. In Sect. 3, tools to support SLR through visualisation are described, and an overview of SLR activities that are supported within these tools is given. Conclusions and suggestions for future research are given in the Sect. 4.
2 Background The methodology for performing systematic literature review used in this paper is the one developed by Kitchenham [3]. In this section is given an overview of the SLR process, as well as activities to conduct it. Cochrane Collaboration defined systematic literature review as “an overview of a clearly formulated research question (or more research questions) that uses systematic and explicit methods to recognise, select and critically evaluate relevant researches, as well as collect and analyse data from papers included in the review” [10]. Statistical methods (meta-analysis) may, but do not have to be used for analysis and summarisation of the results that are included in the research [11]. A quality systematic literature review should fulfil all or at least most of the following requirements [7]: • determine to which extent has previous research made progress towards clarifying a specific problem; • identifying relationships, contradictions, gaps and inconsistency in literature and finding out the reasons (e.g. by recommending a new conceptualisation or a theory that explains the inconsistency); • defining general statements and views or comprehensive conceptualisation (forming new ones, rather than summing up previously expressed views); • commenting, evaluating, expanding or developing theory; and • suggestion for guidance in future research. Systematic reviews are characterised by being objective, systematic, transparent and repeatable, while Baumeister vividly recommends that when doing a systematic literature review, the researcher should be a judge and jury, not a lawyer [7, 12]. Judge and jury are sceptical when evaluating evidence in order to make a judgment as fair as possible, based on that evidence. In contrast, lawyers’ approach includes trying the best case for one side of the argument. Considering all of the above, we can conclude that this process reflects the current scientific knowledge about a certain topic [13]. The systematic literature review includes several different activities [3]:
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• review planning, • review execution, and • documenting. Stages of planning the review are as follows [14]: identification of the need for a review, commissioning a review, specifying the research question, developing a review protocol and evaluating the review protocol. The stages associated with the review execution are [14]: identification of research, selection of primary studies, study quality assessment, data extraction and monitoring and data synthesis. Documenting or reporting the review consists of stages such as [14]: specifying dissemination mechanisms, format- ting the main report and evaluating the report. In a research conducted by Hernandez and Kraft in 2013, participants stated that the most difficult activities in the systematic literature review are a selection of papers, data extraction and quality estimation of the papers [15]. What is especially important is to identify which are the activities that take the most time, since a systematic literature review is a long process and that time needs to be optimised. The results [16] show that the most time demanding activities are data extraction, selection of papers, and quality estimation, respectively. This means that all ways of simplifying these activities to researchers should be taken into consideration.
3 Tools to Support Visualising SLR Information can be seen as knowledge obtained from investigation, study, or instruction [17]. Visualisation alludes to the making of two-dimensional or three dimensional portrayals of information that empower new revelations of both insights and knowledge [18]. Together, information and visualisation describe the new, upgraded meaning that has changed the way of perceiving and understanding information. This concept pro- vides the opportunity to better understand and memorise the new knowledge that information gave to the information user. Nowadays, the SLR process is still dominantly executed manually, so it requires much time while, at the same time, can lead to mistakes. Taking this into account, as well as the fact that the amount of literature being produced and published is rapidly growing every day, we can conclude that traditional way of performing systematic literature review is unsustainable so it could significantly benefit from the usage of visualisation tools as a way to speed up the process of understanding data [13]. We searched the literature to perceive whether there are tools that could support SLR by visualising data and information generated in the process of SLR. Our criteria were that these tools are free and open to use, and we have selected and tested four tools: 1. 2. 3. 4.
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In the text bellow, those four tools are described. At the end of the section, table with a comparison of the features these tools provide to support SLR according to Kitchenham guides [3] is presented. Revtools is an R package developed to support evidence synthesis projects. It can be used to visualise patterns in bibliographic data, to interactively select or exclude individual articles or words and save the results for later analysis [19]. We downloaded a list of references from the Web of Knowledge to test this tool. Instead of sorting data manually, Revtools helped to locate and remove duplicated titles, and then, to some extent, helped us choose relevant entries by viewing titles and abstracts. Revtools reduced our usual time needed to conduct evidence-synthesis and helped us choose relevant papers. However, there could be some obstacles for researchers that are using this tool. Basic programming skills and familiarity with R are needed in order to use Revtools. In their paper, van Eck and Waltman [20] used CitNetExplorer and VOSviewer to demonstrate how these tools can be used to cluster publications and to analyse the resulting clustering solutions. CitNetExplorer focuses on the analysis at the level of individual publications. This tool can be used to simplify systematic literature search in many ways, by making it possible to easily select all publications that cite or are cited by a given set of publications [21]. We used it to discover the publications that are the pillars in the field of e-learning in higher education. Using data extracted from the Web of Knowledge, we needed just a few minutes to get the results, since visualisation helped us to easily extract information. This process would take much longer if it was done manually. Our result is shown in Fig. 1. The vertical location of a publication is determined by its publication year, and the horizontal by its citation relations with other publications. In that way it was easy to determine four main publications on which further publications rely. It is possible to select one publication and to see publications that are predecessors and followers of that publication. Unlike CitNetExplorer, VOSviewer is focusing on the analysis at an aggregate level. VOSviewer is a software tool for constructing and visualising bibliometric networks. Authors [20] showed an example of using VOSViewer by making two visualisations. The first visualisation showed the clusters in a clustering solution and the citation relations between these clusters. The second visualisation was using a socalled term map to indicate the topics that are covered by a cluster. We used VOSviewer to examine when e-learning was hot research topic in which country. VOSviewer saved us a lot of time by visually presenting and extracting the information in just a few seconds. From the graph shown in Fig. 2. we could easily determine information about countries and their research in the field of e-learning. Developed countries mostly researched in this field until 2014, while less developed countries mostly researched it from 2018. NAILS is a tool which uses a series of custom statistical and network analysis functions to give the user an overview of literature datasets. The system then removes duplicate records and performs an exploratory data analysis on provided literature data. The analysis identifies, for instance, the most cited articles and authors, most common
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Fig. 1. An example of CitNetExplorer usage
Fig. 2. An example of VOSviewer usage
keywords, and journals with most publications. These statistics are accompanied by visualisations for a quick data overview [22]. Unlike tools described above, NAILS does not support adjusting parameters, so it visually generates information of the entries exported from databases such as Web of Knowledge. NAILS supported our SLR process by helping us to review searches on Web of Knowledge. While using these tools, we concluded that they could help researchers in planning the review by visually showing summary results from different queries in Web of Knowledge
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or Scopus and help them to define a query and examine some stages of planning the review. These tools could significantly improve the review process protocol evaluation. In Table 1 are summarized the main features of reviewed visualization tools. Table 1. Features enabled by the tool. Feature
CitNetExplorer
RevTools
NAILS Identification of research
X
X
x Selection of primary studies
X
X
Study quality assessment
VOSviewer
NAILS X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Data Extraction and monitoring
X
Data synthesis
X
X
All of these activities are supported only if data is extracted from the Web of Knowledge, Scopus or similar bibliographic source, one at a time. This is the biggest limit of these tools. Since their purpose is to reduce the time needed to extract the in- formation, pre-processing the data manually for these tools would take much time for the researcher. They are useful to some extent and need to be upgraded for full support of the SLR process.
4 Conclusion Information visualisation is a cognitive process that is used for analysis and presentation, allowing us to better understand data and offering the opportunity to act upon the understanding it offers. It also enables effective communications and presen-tations, further solidifying the fact that the purpose of visualisation is to gain insights, rather than merely viewing pictures. In the paper we discussed the appliance of four tools aimed at information visualisation in order to support SLR process. While tools for visualising text data are not yet common in systematic literature reviews, expanding their use will be critical if systematic reviews are to remain viable, given projected increases in the size of the academic literature. There are tools that could, to some extent, support systematic literature review and those tools can be used to carry out different steps in this process. However, none of the currently existing tools can be used to support the SLR process from the first to the last step. One of the biggest problems is that there are not enough researches that are evaluating those tools. The researchers need adequate tools to support SLR process. Presented study is just the first step in a broader study of SLR tools, aimed at identifying best practices, and preferable characteristics of SLR support tools. Such a comprehensive study will enable the definition of guidelines for design and development of unified tool that will be able to fully support in time and quality all the activities of the SLR.
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Acknowledgements. This research (paper) has been supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development through the project no. 451-03-68/2020-14/200156: “Innovative scientific and artistic research from the FTS (activity) domain”.
References 1. Kitchenham, B., Pearl, B.O., Budgen, D., Turner, M., Bailey, J., Linkman, S.: Systematic literature reviews in software engineering – a systematic literature review. Inf. Softw. Technol. 51(1), 7–15 (2009) 2. Carver, J.C., Hassler, E., Harnandes, E., Kraft, N.A.: Identifying Barriers to the Systematic Literature Review Proccess. In: IEEE International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement, MD (2013) 3. Kitchenham, B.: Procedures for performing systematic reviews. Keele University (2004) 4. Okoli, C.: A guide to conducting a standalone systematic literature review. Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst. 37(1), 43 (2015) 5. Okoli, C., Shabram, K.: A Guide to Conducting a Systematic Literature Review of information systems research. In: Sprouts: Working Papers on Information Systems, vol. 10, no. 26, pp. 10–26 (2010) 6. Nightingale, A.: A guide to systematic literature reviews. Surg. (Oxford) 27(9), 381–384 (2009) 7. Siddaway, A.P.: What is a systematic literature review and how do I do one (2014) 8. Siddaway, A.P., Wood, A.M., Hedges, L.V.: How to do a systematic review: a best practice guide for conducting and reporting narrative reviews, meta-analyses, and meta-syntheses. Ann. Rev. Psychol. 70(1), 747–770 (2019) 9. Koch, C., Tsuchiya, N.: Attention and consciousness: two distinct brain processes. Trends Cogn. Sci. 11(1), 16–22 (2007) 10. Cochrane Collaboration homepage. www.cochrane.org. Accessed 20 Mar 2020 11. Michigan University homepage. https://guides.lib.umich.edu. Accessed 26 Sept 2019 12. Baumeister, R.: Writing a literature review. Prinstein& (2013) 13. van Altena, A., Spijker, R., Olabarriaga, S.: Usage of automation tools in systematic reviews. Res. Synthesis Methods 10, 72–82 (2018) 14. Kitchenham, B., Charters, S.: Guidelines for performing systematic literature review in software engineering, vol. 2 (2007) 15. Baumeister, F., Leary, R.: Writing narrative literature reviews. Rev. Gener. 1, 311–320 (1995) 16. Thomas, J., McNaught, J., Ananiadou, S.: Applications of text mining within systematic reviews (2011) 17. Meriam Webster homepage. https://www.meriamwebster.com/dictionary/information. Accessed 20 July 2020 18. Soukup, T., Davidson, I.: Visual Data Mining Techniques and Tools for Data Visualization and Mining. Wiley, Hoboken (2002) 19. Revtools homepage. https://revtools.net/. Accessed 10 Feb 2020 20. van Eck, N.J., Waltman, L.: Citation-based clustering of publications using CitNetExplorer and VOSviewer. Scientometrics 111(2), 1053–1070 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192017-2300-7 21. van Eck, N.J., Waltman, L.: CitNetExplorer: a new software tool for analyzing and visualizing citation networks. J. Infometr. 8, 802–823 (2014) 22. Knutas, A., Hajikhani, A., Salminen, J., Ikonen, J., Porras, J.: Cloud-based bibliometric analysis service for systematic mapping studies (2015)
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23. Westgate, M.: An R package to support article screening for evidence synthesis. Res. Synthesis Methods 10, 606–614 (2019) 24. Gephi homepage. https://gephi.org/. Accessed 18 Apr 2020 25. Boote, D.N., Beile, P.: Scholars before researchers: on the centrality of the dissertation literature review in research preparation. Educ. Res. 34(6), 3–15 (2005) 26. Bastian, M., Heymann, S., Jacomy, M.: Gephi: an open source software for exploring and manipulating networks. In: International ICWSM Conference (2009) 27. Nakagawa, S., Samarasinghe, G., Haddaway, N., Westgate, M.: Research weaving: visualizing the future of research synthesis. Trends Ecol. Evol. 34, 224–238 (2019) 28. Soukup, T., Davidson, I.: Visual Data Mining: Techniques and Tools for Data Visualization and Mining. Wiley, Hoboken (2002)
Learning Environment Digital Transformation: Systematic Literature Review Teodora Lolic1(B)
, Darko Stefanovic1 , Rogério Dionisio2 and Sara Havzi1
, Dusanka Dakic1
,
1 Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21 000 Novi Sad, Serbia
[email protected] 2 Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-084 Castelo Branco, Portugal
Abstract. We are witnessing how digital technologies can be used to transform everyday life – launch new or grow incumbent companies, change teaching and learning environment, and research. The latest literature research has overwhelmingly positively assessed the use of digital technologies in higher education, indicating certain challenges in this regard. In the modern era, higher education institutions need to evolve steadily, following the digital transformation. Overall, the emphasis is on the encouragement and promotion of digital technology in the learning process. However, a small number of research papers addressed the learning environment’s digital transformation in the past decade. With the aim of contributing to a relevant topic, this paper presents a systematic literature review of related articles published on learning environment digital transformation in ten years. Accordingly, significant and eminent results are discussed, together with guidelines for future research. Keywords: Digital transformation · Learning environment · Literature review
1 Introduction Digital tools’ capacity to enhance peoples’ lives has led the internet to become the primary medium through which many people communicate. The internet, side by all digital tools, becomes one of the essential media of digital transformation. According to one of the biggest worlds’ digital transformation company, Salesforce1 , digital transformation is defined as “The process of using digital technologies to create new, or modify existing, business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements”. This everyday business reimaging in the digital age is called digital transformation. Despite earlier claims that new generations carry information and communication skills within [1], empirical researches show this is not the case [2–5]. Such results are the starting point for additional research on how teaching staff and students use digital, educational technologies in higher education [4, 6–9] before institutional policies towards the digital transformation of universities are successfully implemented. 1 https://www.salesforce.com/eu/.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 87–94, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_12
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Following the above, the basic need for research is identified as follows. Since digitalization affects all segments of society, it is inevitable to deal with it primarily in higher education institutions. In addition, to meet the expectations of students and teaching staff, leaders toward digital transformation in education must be confident that their digital environment can adapt to this technological advancement. This paper, through the presentation of the systematic literature (SLR) results, aims to establish to what extent existing research has progressed towards learning environment digital transformation. Furthermore, the goal of the paper is to formulate general statements, and eventually to identify gaps in research in the last ten years to suggest areas for further investigation. The literature review on the digital learning environment is based on the guidelines for performing SLR by Kitchenham, B. [10]. The rest of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 provides an overview of the learning process evolution towards digital transformation. Section 3 presents the SLR research method. Section 4 and 5 present two main phases of the SLR – planning and conducting the review with all belonging steps explained. Section 6 discusses the review results and highlights the findings. Finally, Sect. 7 presents paper conclusions together with future work proposals.
2 Learning Environment Digital Transformation The digital revolution within Industry 4.0 influences emerging changes in the modern era. New technologies have been accompanied by changes in the teaching and learning patterns, research habits, redesigning of existing study programs to meet and follow industry expectations [11]. For the initiation of the digital transformation in the processes of teaching and learning within higher education institutions, it is vital to understand the technical skills and knowledge of two perspectives – teaching staff and students. Some researches [12–15] provide insight into how teachers and students use digital tools in the learning environment. These results indicate the need for better professional development of teachers to deal with digital literacy at the academic level. Recent studies have been increasingly mentioning and studying the usage of digital technology in higher education [16]. While some point out the challenges in this area, generally, the emphasis is on the encouragement and promotion of digital technologies and tools in higher education [17]. Other authors also showed the strong effect of using digital media tools such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter for attracting new students [18]. It is necessary to reconstruct attitudes towards the use of technology in the teaching process, which would ultimately have a positive impact on the digital transformation in higher education [17].
3 Research Methodology The main focus of the systematic literature review is to address problems related to a specific research question, or topic area, or phenomenon of interest, by identifying, evaluating, and interpreting the findings of all relevant individual studies.
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3.1 Systematic Literature Review Procedure The procedure includes three main phases of the systematic literature review: Planning the Review, Conducting the Review, and Reporting the Review [10]. During the planning phase, the first thing to identify is the overall need for the review. Second, the Review protocol that guides and specifies the SLR execution should be developed including the following information: motivation for conducting the SLR, formulated research question(s) which will result in the definition of the search strategy for initial scoping of primary studies, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and data extraction formulation [19]. A pre-defined protocol is essential to reduce the possibility of researcher bias and to avoid the selection or the analysis of the individual studies driven by researcher expectations. When the protocol has been created, the review can begin. The second phase (Conducting the Review) of the SLR should be conducted in five steps [19]. The first step is to identify relevant research using the search string to query multiple databases and to identify a set of candidate studies. Second, researchers use the inclusion and exclusion criteria to eliminate irrelevant candidate studies, using titles first, abstracts second, and the full-text third. The third step is to perform a quality assessment of each study chosen to evaluate the reliability and importance of its results. Finally, the researchers extract essential data from all remaining studies using the data extraction forms. The extracted data is analyzed, and the resulting information is synthesized to draw conclusions. Reporting the review is a single-stage phase that usually presents results in at least two formats, in a technical report or a section of a Ph.D. thesis, and a journal or conference paper [10].
4 Planning the Review According to Kitchenham, B. [10], the initial step of the review planning phase should be the elaboration of the systematic literature review necessity in a particular subject. To present the need and the motivation for conducting the SLR, authors should review the existing literature on the relevant topic. Accordingly, no explicit, systematic literature reviews are presenting the digital learning environment transformation. Intending to investigate the related background of the subject of interest, the authors of this paper stated the overall research question as follows: How has the learning environment been digitally transformed over the years? For the scoping of the primary studies, the search strategy is defined. Prior to creating the search strings, the research question was broken down into individual concepts as follows, learning process evolution, learning environment key concepts, learning environment participants, digital learning environment. This literature review consists of the search of relevant papers in the following databases: SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, using the search string presented below:
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“Digital Transformation” OR Digitization OR Digitalization AND “Learning environment” AND university OR college OR “higher education institution” Identification of primary studies strategy for this literature review was defined through 6 inclusion and exclusion criteria presented below. 1. The paper must address the process of digitalization in the learning environment. 2. The paper should observe the usage of digital services in the learning process from the end-user perspective. 3. Participants in the learning environment: students, teachers. 4. Published year – past decade: 2009–2019. 5. The papers presenting digital transformation in a non-learning environment should be excluded. 6. Duplicate papers collected from different databases should be removed. After adopting the selection criteria, the researchers perform a quality assessment of each selected study to evaluate the reliability and importance of its results. Finally, the data extraction strategy applied to all relevant papers will extract publication year and source type of the papers, theoretical articles related to digitalization of the learning environment, in general, literature review papers, student and teacher perspective of the learning environment digital transformation.
5 Conducting the Review The first step of conducting the review phase is the identification and selection of the primary studies to be included in the SLR based on the search string and inclusion/exclusion criteria. 5.1 Primary Studies Identification and Selection Criteria followed for inclusion and exclusion are defined in the previous section of this paper. The systematic literature review process was conducted following the PRISMA statement [20]. After applying the previously defined search string to seek through databases, identification resulted in 1437 primary studies. At the screening stage, the first step was removing the duplicate records from different databases, where 181 have found as duplicate, and they were excluded from further research. Based on criteria 1 and 2, 1256 records were screened, and 881 primary studies have been excluded by title, and 180 by abstract. Eligibility phase assessed 195 full-text articles, whereas 85 were excluded following the exclusion criteria 6 – the papers presenting digital transformation in a non-learning environment should be excluded. Review based on criteria 3 and 4 included 111 primary studies in qualitative synthesis, as the papers addressing the
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learning environment digital transformation. Further investigation on full-text papers has grouped the articles in the following concepts: blended learning and e-learning – 27 papers, m-learning – 13 papers, PLE – 3 papers, MOOC – 28 papers, Flipped classroom – 8 papers, primarily focused on the investigation of the process of learning environment digital transformation – 32 papers. Since the main goal of this paper is to present a systematic literature review on a specified topic, 32 primary studies are included for the final analysis in the review. 5.2 Data Extraction and Presentation The final stage of conducting the review is the extraction of the essential data from all remaining studies using the data extraction strategy. The first presentation of the results differentiates the primary studies by years published. The results show one highest peak in the research regarding the learning environment digital transformation in 2018. The overall impression is there is a lack of studies that have been investigating the learning environment digital transformation. As far as the type of the paper is concerned, the majority of the papers were published as journal articles – 84%, while remaining are reports – 10%, books – 3%, and guides – 3%. The articles observed in the past decade have been grouped in the five research segments, addressing the defined extraction strategy. Table 1 presents the main focuses of the previous research, as well as identified research gaps. Table 1. Primary studies research focus Research focus
Primary study
%
Digital transformation in HE
[2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 17, 21, 22, 24, 27, 29–31, 38, 40]
44
Digitalization strategy – experience
[32–34, 37]
12
Literature review
–
Teacher perspective
[6, 25, 28, 39, 41]
15
0
Student perspective
[3–5, 7, 26, 28, 35, 36, 41, 42]
29
Primary studies are focused on the general explanation of the digital transformation in higher education (HE), as well as on the digitalization strategy itself. Furthermore, extracted papers observed two main perspectives in the digitalization process, i.e., teachers’ and students’ perspectives of the transformation.
6 Findings and Discussion Analysis in the past decade regarding the learning environment digital transformation presented in Sect. 5 has shown the overall deficiency in the previous research. Nevertheless, the learning process digital transformation has been presented through concepts which have changed the traditional learning to the digital extent.
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As far as the literature review is concerned, the highest number of research papers regarding the selected topic was published in 2018. Selected primary studies, according to the data extraction criteria, have been grouped into five segments. The general theoretical articles addressing the digital transformation in higher education resulted in the most significant number of researchers – 44% in the past decade. Students’ perception of the digitalization process in higher education institutions showed up as second due to the number of publications in the last ten years, with 29% of all research. Articles explaining the importance of the teacher perspective in the digital transformation of the learning environment are present with 15%. Additionally, the digitalization strategy through experienced witness counted four elected papers in the SLR, which is 12% of all selected results. Finally, the papers which have been presenting the systematic literature review on the relevant topic resulted in zero articles, and thus identifies the gap in the literature. Consequently, this paper contributes to the research with the systematic presentation of the results focusing on learning environment digital transformation.
7 Conclusion and Future Work Presented research has overwhelmingly accessed the digital transformation of the learning environment. Throughout the SLR, results showed how has the educational process changed affected by increased usage of digital technologies and digital tools. Likewise, this paper contributes to the relevant literature since there are no articles that have been presenting a literature review in this particular area. Research has shown that being surrounded by technology in everyday life, even from an early age, does not automatically imply that one knows how to use digital tools effectively. Hence, besides all the significant advantages of digitalization, it is crucial to still educate students on how to use computer-supported learning environments for their benefit in learning. At that point, the question arises of how teaching staff uses digital technologies and do they have the relevant knowledge to transfer to students. Future research should provide more investigation on how teachers and students use digital tools and do they find them as improving the learning process towards the digital transformation. Acknowledgement. This research (paper) has been supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development through the project no. 451-03-68/2020-14/200156: “Innovative scientific and artistic research from the FTS (activity) domain”.
References 1. Prensky, M.: Digital native, digital immigrant part 1. Horiz. 9(5), 1–6 (2001) 2. Akçayir, M., Dündar, H., Akçayir, G.: What makes you a digital native? Is it enough to be born after 1980? Comput. Hum. Behav. 60, 435–440 (2016) 3. Barak, M.: Are digital natives open to change? Examining flexible thinking and resistance to change. Comput. Educ. 121, 115–123 (2018)
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Overview of Application of Blockchain Technology in e-Government - Pržulj, and Sonja Risti´c Miroslav Stefanovi´c(B) , Ðorde Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovi´ca 5, Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. Initially created as a technology to support peer-to-peer electronic cash systems, in recent years blockchain technology has been moving away from finance technology into other areas of application that could benefit from characteristics such as decentralization, transparency, and immutability. Significant researches are being done in fields of public services. In this paper, some of the prominent real-life applications of blockchain technology in e-government systems are presented. General benefits that could come to e-government systems from using this technology are also presented. Some open questions that exist in compatibility between e-government and blockchain technology are also being discussed, together with obstacles in the process of full integration of e-government and blockchain technology. Keywords: Blockchain · e-government · Digital government · Smart contracts · Distributed ledger technology
1 Introduction At the beginning of XXI century, the number of households in USA that owned a computer crossed 50% and more than 40% were connected to Internet [1]. By that time governments of developed and developing countries were using information and communication technologies (ICT) for running their day to day operations. With this infrastructure laid out and with success of different e-businesses, a spread of e-government (electronic government) was inevitable. E-government, or so-called government 2.0, represents a system founded on ICT that is intended to provide more efficient and more effective service to all stakeholders. E-government not only supports services that are provided by government, but also to provide ICT support for person to person (P2P), person to business (P2B) and business to business (B2B) services in secure, trusted, transparent, and reliable way. According to 2020 UN E-Government Survey, all countries of the world are putting significant effort in improving their e-government services to interested parties with 126 of 193 UN member states being rated as countries with high level of e-government development [2]. By changing the way governments provide their services to stakeholders from traditional “paper based” to modern electronic services; at the same time, © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 95–102, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_13
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during last couple of decades, a new set of problems were introduced, mainly related to information system security. According to [3] in case of 244 e-government sites from 212 countries, 173 of them were vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting (XSS) or Structured Query Language (SQL) injection attacks. Attack on government services are usually wildly publicized and result in lack of trust and confidence of people using those services or being aware of their personal data being stored in those systems. Only during 2019 several e-government services came under attack with very severe consequences like: declaration of state of emergency in US state of Louisiana and in city of New Orleans; $2.5m ransom demand in case of Texas; delaying sales of 1500 homes in Baltimore; and the case of Lake City, Florida, where local government agreed to pay $500.000 ransom for recovering data. Main reasons for these problems are in the fact that most e-government systems are centralized and as such are prone to any kind of single point of failure attacks. To fulfill the requirements put in front of the contemporary government and to create government 3.0, expansion of “traditional” ICTs with, so called, “disruptive” ICTs is proposed in [4]. Those “disruptive” ICTs are identified as big data, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. Provision of user-centric, agile, and innovative public services should also lead to establishing of digital government that represents a broader term then egovernment [5]. Blockchain is one of the disruptive ITC technologies that could provide good solution for secure, decentralized, transparent and immutable information sharing. According to UN 2020 E-Government Survey, 10 out of 12 leading countries in e-government services are specifically referencing using blockchain technology in this area of application [2]. For the first time blockchain technology is mentioned in [6]. Main characteristics of blockchain technology are decentralization, immutability and transparency. Decentralization is described as elimination of trusted third party in process of verification of transactions. In blockchain, verification of transaction is “outsourced” to peer-to-peer network and is based on consensus mechanism. Immutability represents limitation on reversal of transactions. The fact that everything that happens on blockchain is public represents transparency [6]. So called blockchain 2.0 was introduces in 2014 by Vitalik Buterin [7]. The Most significant change over previous generation of blockchain was introduction of smart contracts. Smart contracts are defined as software system that automates the execution of contract terms [7]. They represent computer code that will be automatically executed by peer-to-peer network that can reduce administration, save cost, and improve efficiency [8]. This paper is intended to serve as starting point for measuring how much integration of blockchain technology and e-government has been successful in recent years and to identified questions that need to be addressed to make this integration even more fruitful. Paper is organized as follows: after introduction in Sect. 1, related work is presented in Sect. 2. In Sect. 3 technology used for implementation of blockchain is presented. An overview of some real-life applications of blockchain technology in e-government is given in Sect. 4. In Sect. 5 possibilities for application of blockchain in e-government will be discussed. Paper ends will final thoughts and recommendations for future research in Sect. 6.
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2 Related Work Bitcoin, as first implementation of blockchain technology, exists since the beginning of 2009 and in early years most of the peer-review papers focused on the economic issue and influence Bitcoin had on the real world. This is in accordance with fact that even after Bitcoin, other applications of blockchain technology stayed in the realm of cryptocurrency and financial technology (fintech). According to [9] by 2017 only 67 peer-reviewed papers were published about application of blockchain technology in fields other than cryptocurrency. Out of those 67 papers, 28 were in discipline of computer science, 18 in information systems, 9 in law, 6 in finances, 5 in political sciences and 3 were not categorized. According to [9], literature review conducted in 2019 shows a change in trend. In the period 2014–2019 a total of 260 peer-review papers on blockchain technology were published and out of those 260, 58 were on subject of application of blockchain technology, followed by 26 on subject of IoT and blockchain and 22 on application of blockchain technology in government [10]. According to literature review of adoption of blockchain specifically in e-government 21 articles were identified by the end of 2017 [11]. In [12] framework of decentralized e-government peer-to-peer system that could be used to secure information stored in system and therefor increase the trust in public sector is proposed. Using blockchain technology as information infrastructure for public services is proposed in [13] where this technology is recognized for its great potential in both reforming and transforming public service. Process simplification, transparency, openness, information sharing, data safety, privacy, and reduce cost are some of the main advantages of application of blockchain technology in e-government, while scalability and trust of the technology represent the main challenges according to [14], while in [15] blockchain technology is recognized as an effective way that could lead to having more efficient government. In [16] data integrity and irrefutability of transactions are presented as main benefits of application of blockchain technology in e-government. Application of blockchain technology as a way to improve trust in public records and elimination of need for a government to act in a role of trusted third party is proposed in [17]. According to [18], blockchain technology could be used in e-government to solve the problem of highly centralized systems and the fact that those systems heavily rely on direct human interaction for control. Switching to blockchain technology over Client Server Trusted Third Party intermediary system in both developed and developing countries is proposed in [19]. Some of possible specific applications of blockchain in e-government are land registry, e-residency, and e-health as stated in [12] and [14], but also in taxation, industrial policy, education, and social policy [5]. Possible solution to some of problems that exist in land administration through application of blockchain technology is presented in [20]. Some countries and government have special interest in products with protected designation of origin and large number of those countries are experimenting with use of blockchain technologies [21]. Some further possibilities are stated in [16] where voting, vehicle registration, birth and marriage certificates are mentioned.
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3 Overview of Blockchain Technology In the first implementation of blockchain technology, Bitcoin cryptocurrency, intention of creator(s) was to eliminate the need of trusted third party in financial transactions. This was achieved by using asymmetric cryptography, cryptographic hash functions, and proof-of-work consensus mechanism. Asymmetric cryptography is a cryptographic system that uses a pair of public and private keys to authenticate and encrypt a message. Cryptographic hash functions are used to create a digest of any digital document. This digest represents a digital fingerprint of original document. In case of Bitcoin, SHA256 hash function is used. According to [6], in case of Bitcoin, transaction are represented as a chain of digital signature where current owner uses his private key to sign a hash of previous transaction together with public key of new owner and adds that information to the coin. Proofof-work represents one of existing consensus mechanism that can be used to verify the transactions in peer-to-peer network. Without consensus mechanism, it would be impossible to solve double spending problem without trusted third party [6]. Consensus mechanism acts as timestamp server creating an ordered list of transactions. In case of Bitcoin process is as follow, all transactions are being added to transaction pool. From that pool transactions are selected and added to a block. Apart from set of transactions, block consists of two more parts. First one is hash of previous block and the second one is nonce. Hash of previous block is used so every newly created block would get “connected” to previous block(s), that way a chain of blocks of transactions is created, ergo, blockchain. As a result, change in any previous block would require a change in all subsequent blocks that were created. By requirement, cryptographic hash functions shouldn’t be hard to calculate, therefor it would be possible to recreate an entire blockchain rather quickly and that could lead to split in blockchain and make it impossible to determine which chain holds the correct data. That is where proof-of-work and nonce are used to solve this problem. In case of Blockchain, nonce is 32bit long block that is used to make it possible to set certain requirements that block hash should meet. That requirement is that hash must have a value that is lower or equal to current blockchain’s target hash. This, so called difficulty level, is calculated based on total computer power involved in peer-to-peer network. Apart of mentioned proof-or-work consensus algorithms other algorithms are being used in different blockchains such as proof-of-stake, delegated proof-of-stake, ripple, byzantine fault tolerance or thundering [22]. Since Bitcoin biggest change in blockchain technology was appearance of Ethereum blockchain, blockchain 2.0, which introduced the first Turing complete language for writing smart contracts. Smart contracts were firstly proposed by Nick Szabo in [23] where he defined them as digital set of promises that will allow for different parties to perform actions on those promises. Smart contracts enable creation of distributed application organization that would run on blockchain and that can benefit from everything that blockchain technology can offer.
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4 Examples of Application or Blockchain Technology in e-Government In this Section some representative real-life cases of application of blockchain technology in fields that are commonly related to e-government such as e-residency, e-health and land administrations are presented. One of most prominent projects regarding e-Residency is one provided by Estonia. Estonia is in general one of the leading world countries in e-government and in application of blockchain technology in e-government. Estonian e-Residency is special offer for entrepreneurs that want to start their business in European Union country. E-residency holders can establish and run online companies, use electronic banking services, have access to international payment providers, digitally sign documents, verify the authenticity of signed documents and declared taxes online. Basically, it offers holders a possibility to use services of Estonian e-government and to start an online company from anywhere in the world [24]. System phrOS is another example of application of blockchain technology in e-health with focus on sharing health data while preserving data privacy. It provides services for patient identities (IDs) that enables patient identification and identity management, medication management, and social care records. Smart medical chain is another feature of this application that represents electronic health record based on blockchain and promotes sharing those records between healthcare providers thus improving the efficiency of healthcare information exchange. Application uses smart contracts as a form of econsent form that should be signed by patients and it also provides automated insurance due to healthcare data authorization between patient, hospitals, and insurances [25]. Most prominent example of application of blockchain technology in land administration system is from Sweden. In collaboration of The Swedish Mapping, cadaster and land registration authority (Lantmateriet), Telia Company, ChromaWay and Kairos Future, a reform of transfer of real estate in Sweden has been made. In traditional process of buying a real estate involving mortgage had 34 steps and with application of blockchain technologies, new process has only 6 steps and time needed to registered a transaction in land administration that was up to 6 months, was significantly reduced. In case of this solution, basic information about transaction, such as content of contract, price and date of transfer, are stored on blockchain [26].
5 Discussion Implementation of blockchain technology in e-government poses several questions that need to be addressed first. Those are related to how justifiable is application of blockchain technology in specific case, what direct benefits blockchain technology bring to specific application, should some existing implementation of blockchain technology be used as well as between public or private blockchain. In [27] ten questions decision path is proposed for determining if blockchain technology is in fact a good choice for certain application. In general, if answer to any of the first seven questions is no, then blockchain technology is probably not the best solution.
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On more lenient approach, five yes answers to first seven questions usually means that application of blockchain technology on selected problem is feasible. Regarding direct benefits of application of blockchain technology, in general, greatest possibilities are in fields where having some of core blockchain characteristics is of advantage. For example, in developing and less developed countries decentralization is probably the most widely needed feature. Corruption in government institutions lead to lack of trust in government. “Replacing” government appointment officers with mathematically based consensus mechanism is a great advantage. Also, making transactions public and immutable prevents later “intervention” in data that could happen for some reason. Even in developed countries, trust in government is not granted and unquestionable by all citizens. Question of selecting between existing blockchain infrastructure or creating a separate blockchain base on the same technology also needs to be addressed. How willing a state would be to “outsource” some task to a platform that is not under government control by choosing existing implementation? Another question is whether public (permissionless) or private (permissioned) blockchain should be used? Public blockchains are those where anybody can join, become a node and verify transactions, while private blockchains have limited number of predetermined nodes. Should everybody be allowed to verify transaction or only those that are recognized as stakeholders can join the network? Selecting a specific implementation of blockchain also means selecting a specific consensus mechanism. Proof-of-work is a consensus mechanism that requires a significant amount of computer power and energy (in case of public blockchains) to verify a transaction. Proof-of-stake tries to solve this problem by replacing computer power with stake a node has in network. Question of privacy is another issue worth mentioning. Transparency, as one of main characteristics of blockchain now must be in concordance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Even with all these questions answered there are still some limitations “built-in” blockchain technology, most notably the question of scalability. For example, Bitcoin network can manage less than five transactions per second at its peak time, while Ethereum may handle up to fifteen transactions. Most commonly used comparison is that Visa payment system handles an average of 1700 transactions per second. There are large number of public blockchains that attempt to solve this problem, but at this point in time none of them manage to get the number much higher than already mentioned Ethereum expect in test conditions. Work is being done in Hyperledger that could support up 50.000 transactions per second while Microsoft Azure Blockchain is reportedly aiming to support 100.000 transactions per second. It is important to mention that blockchain technology is not 100% secure, there are security issues that should also be kept in mind when applying this technology and most notable ones are selfish mining attack, Border Gateway Protocol attack, Eclipse attack and 51% vulnerability.
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6 Conclusion While number of blockchain applications grows, large number of biggest IT companies are investing resources in further development, and governments of majority of countries have some blockchain project in development, there are still some issues that need to be resolved. Blockchain is surely not a solution for every e-government application, but as shown with several real-life examples, it can be used for specific cases. Also, it offered a new view on how certain services of e-government could be implemented in future. Based on discussions from this paper, further research is aimed into creating a tool that would help answering some of those questions. That tool could be used measure how justifiable application of blockchain technology is in a specific e-government application and, at the same time, if application is justifiable, how to select proper implementation of blockchain technology that would serve specific purpose.
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Technical Debt Payment Practices and Rationales Behind Payment Avoidance in the Serbian IT Industry Robert Ramaˇc1 , Nebojša Taušan2(B) , Sávio Freire3,4 , Nicolli Rios3 , Manoel G. de Mendonça Neto3 , Rodrigo Oliveira Spínola3 , and Vladimir Mandi´c1 1 University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia 2 INFORA Research Group, Subotica, Serbia
[email protected] 3 Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil 4 Federal Institute of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
Abstract. Technical debt (TD), as a metaphor for utilizing quick workarounds to achieve short-term wins, is gaining attention in academia and industry. However, little is known about how companies pay off the accumulated TD, or why they chose to avoid this payment. The goal of this research was set to address this knowledge gap by gaining insight on TD payment practices, as well as on reasons behind the decisions to avoid debt payment in the Serbian IT industry. This research is a part of the InsighTD project—a globally distributed family of industrial surveys on TD—and as such it also amplifies the InsighTD reach and expands its knowledge base. A nationwide survey was conducted with practitioners from the Serbian IT industry, which was followed by a qualitative and quantitative data analysis. In total 79 valid responses were analyzed. Results show that TD is in most cases paid off by refactoring or by hiring specialized professionals, while the most common reasons why TD is not paid off include the lack of resources, complexity of the needed repayment work and the lack of management support. Results also suggest that payment of deadline-caused TD with additional work can generate additional TD injections due to tight schedule. This can motivate academics to conduct further empirical investigations while the practitioners can familiarize with practices for paying of the accumulated TD, as well as reasons for avoiding debt payment. Keywords: Technical debt · Technical debt payment · Technical debt management · InsighTD
1 Introduction Technical debt (TD) as a metaphor describes the use of quick workarounds during the software development process, that result in short term wins but can hamper both the future development and the maintenance processes [1–4]. For example, lack of coding standards can result with bad code, i.e., code debt and code smells [4, 5]. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 103–110, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_14
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Software development can be viewed as a chain of various decisions, of which some start well before coding. All these decisions have an impact on the end product, and consequentially the creation of TD [6]. Dagstuhl Seminar on Technical Debt concluded that we need to better understand connections between non-coding activities and TD [1]. This would allow for a better balance of a delivered value of software with accompanying TD. Also, this conclusion consequently generates the need for further empirical investigations of TD. The study presented in this paper addresses the aspect of TD payment practices and avoidance reasons in Serbian IT to contribute to a better understanding of this phenomenon. The study was done as a part of the InsighTD project1 [7]. The objective of this study is to investigate what are the main TD payment practices and avoidance reasons in Serbian IT, and how does that relay to TD causes that were previously identified [8]. To accomplish this goal, three research questions were derived: (RQ1): What are the TD payment practices? (RQ2): What are the reasons for avoiding TD payment? (RQ3): How are TD causes related with payment practices and avoidance reasons? This paper has the following structure: Sect. 2 presents the InsighTD project and introduces the related work on payment practices and avoidance reasons. Section 3 presents the research approach, while the Sect. 4.
2 Background 2.1 The InsighTD Project and Its Research Context The InsighTD project represents a globally distributed family of industrial surveys on TD [7]. The main goal of InsighTD is to gain insight and acquire empirical evidence on the TD phenomenon to better understand it and to add to the TD knowledge base. InsighTD relies on the TD survey as the main research instrument and on various international teams of researchers that replicate the survey in the country that they are representing. At the time of writing this paper, researchers from 11 countries have joined the project. The survey was replicated in Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, USA, and Serbia. Various analysis from the collected data have already been conducted. These analyses include the analysis on the prevalence of TD, the identification of main causes and effects of TD [6, 7, 9], as well as the analysis on TD payment [10, 11]. A complete list of studies that are part of InsighTD project is maintained on the project’s web page. 2.2 Technical Debt and Its Payment Regarding TD payment in the context of InsighTD two studies have been published based on data from Brazil, Chile, Colombia and the United States. In the first study Freire et al. found that in 60% of cases TD was not paid off [10]. They also found that Code Refactoring is the most cited practice for TD payment, and that Low Priority and Lack of Organizational Interest are the most cited reasons for avoiding TD payment. The authors also identified categories that group TD payment practices and payment avoidance reasons and presented a TD payment map that encompasses all of these 1 [Link accessed 13.07.2020] http://www.td-survey.com/.
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categories [10]. The second study by Pérez et al. showed that it is possible to establish an association between main causes of TD and main practices to pay off TD. They found that eight out of ten causes of TD use refactoring as the main payment practice [11].
3 Research Approach 3.1 Study Context This study was conducted by the Serbian InsighTD research team. Since the InsighTD relies on national teams to collect the data in their country of origin, the target population were professionals working in the Serbian IT industry. Some of the main demographic properties of the respondents include: (1) Expertise level: 78% Senior, 22% Junior (2) Role in development process: 66% Developer, 20% Manager, 14% Other. (3) Development approach: 50% Hybrid, 40% Agile, 10% Traditional. A more detailed presentation of the Serbian IT demographics, level of understanding of the TD concept, and TD conceptualization is presented in [6]. 3.2 Survey Design and Execution The survey, which is the main data collection instrument of InsighTD, is designed by the InsighTD core group [12]. Most of the core group members were experienced scientist from the Brazilian group, but the group also included scientists from other countries. The survey is based on existing scientific literature, but its design is also validated and updated based on several rounds of survey piloting. Before the actual survey execution, national teams were allowed minor modification of the survey to increase the quality of responses. Following this, the Serbian research team did the following adaptions: (1) several questions were translated to Serbian language, (2) participants were allowed to answer the open-ended questions in Serbian and in English. Survey was then set-up as an online survey, and it was available from February to November 2019. The survey was distributed using the IT clusters in Serbia to geographically cover the whole country [6]. Also, the survey was distributed to authors’ personal contacts who work in the IT industry who were in turn asked to further distribute the survey to their colleagues. These approaches aimed to ensure that the survey was disseminated to proper audiences across the whole country and to increase the credibility of the collected responses and the sample’s representatives of the Serbian IT industry. 3.3 Analysis Method The analysis relied on descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis of survey answers regarding the payment practices and avoidance reasons. Descriptive statistics provided various counts, that were presented in form of diagrams and charts. Extraction of payment practices and avoidance reasons, mapping of identified categories to existing map of categories and identifying new categories was done using the coding technique [13].
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4 Results Before addressing the RQs, it should be emphasized that by analyzing the survey answers it was possible to conclude if the TD items the participants named were paid off or if their payment was avoided. From the 79 participants that had valid examples from which TD types could be extrapolated 39% answered that the TD items have been paid off, 61% answered that the TD items have not been paid off. 4.1 TD Payment Practices (RQ1) By analyzing the participants answers it was concluded that 29 participants elaborated how the debt items were paid off. Some participants even mentioned multiple ways that were used for TD payment. Figure 1 shows the top 10 payment practices that were cited by practitioners. As can be seen from Fig. 1 the most cited payment practice is Refactoring, followed by Hiring specialized professionals, Design Refactoring and Reworking Parts of the System (implies reworking a whole part of the system from scratch). Other less cited practices were: Investing effort on TD repayment activities, Adoption of good practices, Improving the Team Collaboration, Acceptance of the cost of TD, Implementing additional workarounds and Negotiating deadline extension. Freire et al. identified and explained several categories regarding TD payment practices [10]. These categories were used to categorize the top 10 cited practices in this study. Figure 1 (left side) shows categories of TD payment practices (marked with PC). This figure shows that the 3 out of 4 of the most cited payment practices fall in the Internal Quality Issues category. This indicates that these practices can be used to address issues related to category. Other categories that were used were: Organizational (for categories associated with organizational decisions), Methodology (for payment practices associated with the development process that is used by the development team), Development Issues (for practices that are applied during the development of the software), People (for practices that are directly associated with professionals) and Planning and Management (groups practices associated with company management decisions). 4.2 TD Payment Avoidance Reasons (RQ2) Participants that answered that the debt items were not paid off were asked to elaborate the reason or reasons why this payment was avoided, and 39 participants gave their insight on why the payment was avoided. Figure 1 (right side) illustrates the top 10 most cited TD payment avoidance reasons. The most dominant avoidance reason cited was Lack of time followed by Cost. Other avoidance reasons were: Focusing on Short Term Goals, Low Priority, Insufficient Management View on TD Repayment, Complexity of the TD Item, Lack of Technical Knowledge, Lack of Resources, Customer Decision and Complexity of the Project.
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Fig. 1. Most cited TD payment practices and avoidance reasons (Categorized)
Identified payment avoidance reasons were categorized with the help of categories proposed by Freire et al. [10]. Figure 1 (right side) shows categories of TD payment avoidance reasons (marked with AC). The most dominant category was the Planning and Management, which groups 3 out of 4 most cited payment avoidance reasons. This finding indicates that the company management has the most to do with the decisions to avoid TD payment activities. Other identified categories were: People (groups avoidance reasons that directly relay to team characteristics), Internal Quality Issues (groups avoidance reasons that relay to system code and structure), Lack of Knowledge (groups reasons related to the lack of technical knowledge), Organizational (groups reasons that are related to organizational decisions), External Factors (groups reasons that are related to external factors like client decisions) and Development Issues (groups reasons related to issues tied with the development process). 4.3 Causes of TD and Their Relation with Payment Practices and Avoidance Reasons To answer RQ3, the analysis approach from [11] was adopted thus the ten most cited causes of TD [8] were related with the identified payment practices and avoidance reasons. The relations are presented in Tables 1. The first column presents the causes of TD, last two rows show the practices and avoidance reasons and the sums showing the number of times the cause is related with the practice or the reason in survey answers. Table 1 shows that causes of TD are mostly related to following practices: (a) Accept the cost of TD, (b) Reworking parts of the system, (c) Design refactoring, (d) Refactoring and e) Hiring specialized professionals. At least three observations can be made, first being the dominance of the practice to Accept the costs of TD. This practice is identified in 8 cases and it is related with 7 out of 10 causes that were observed. Possible interpretation for the acceptance of TD costs is that managers are unaware of the possibilities to
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manage TD, and thus reduce the costs related to it. Another interpretation could be that the managers are unaware of the presence of TD. The second observation is about the relation of the Deadline cause with three related payment practices: Reworking parts of the system, Design refactoring and Refactoring. This suggests that in 60% of cases (9/15) the deadline-caused TD is paid by some type of rework on the existing artifact. The third observation highlights the relation between the Lack of experience cause and the refactoring activities. In 6/11 cases or 55%, Refactoring and Design refactoring were used to pay off the debt caused by the Lack of experience.
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
2 0 0
4 0 0
1 0 0
0 1 0
1 0 1
0 0 0
2 0 3
0 0 1
2 0 1
0 0 0
1 1 0
2
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
Sum:
Lack of tech. knowledge
7
7
6
7
8
1
12 3
Customer decision
0
Complexity of the Project
0
Complexity of the TD item
2
0
Hiring an external company to resolve TD
Avoidance reasons 5 2 1 0
Accepting the cost of TD
0
Reworking system parts
1
Hiring specialized professionals
6
Design refactoring
Payment practices 2 1 2
Refactoring
Causes Deadline Ineffective project management Lack of experience Test not performed Misconduct Focus on producing more at the expense of quality Lack of qualified professionals Non-adoption of good practices Lack of refactoring Poor allocation of resources
Lack of time
Table 1. Relation of causes with payment practices and avoidance reasons
5
1
6
Table 1 shows that the most common reasons why TD is not paid off are: a) Lack of time, b) Customer decisions and c) Complexity of the TD item. Two observations can be made, and the first is the relation between the Deadline, and the Lack of time, as the dominant reason for avoidance. This relation is identified in 50% cases (5/10) and indicates that Deadline as a cause and one of the main reasons for the Lack of time, can also be reasons for TD payment avoidance. The second observation is that two similar avoidance reasons, Lack of technical knowledge (3 cases) and The complexity of TD item (5 cases), together represent 8/27 cases or 30% of all identified relations. This may indicate that companies avoid paying the debt due to the lack of needed expertise. The data presented in Table 1 is used to answer RQ3 and this data suggests that none of the cause can be related with a single practice or avoidance reason. If however, practices or reasons are observed as categories, that are presented in Fig. 1, following relations can be identified. Two causes, Deadline and Lack of experience, can be related with the Internal quality issues category that includes Refactoring, Design refactoring and Reworking parts of the system. The Deadline cause is also the only cause with
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more explicit relation with the Lack of time avoidance reasons which suggests that tight schedules are the cause but also the reason why the TD is not paid off.
5 Discussion, Study Limitations and Future Work The observations presented in Sect. 4, Causes of TD and their relation with payment practices and avoidance reasons, related the Deadline cause with Internal quality issues category of payment practices, and the Lack of time, as the dominant reason for payment avoidance. These observations reveal the potentially vicious circle which starts with the injection of TD due to already present tight deadlines in the development process. This TD will later be paid by rework which in practice means adding additional tasks to developers’ task lists. If not properly planned, additional tasks may burden the developers’ already tight schedule and close the vicious circle with the injection of new deadline-caused TD. Alternatively, the vicious circle may end by developer’s decision to avoid the debt payoff due to Lack of time. Our suggestion how to break the vicious circle is by applying the practice of Hiring specialized professionals or Hiring an external company that belong to the Organizational category. These two similar practices were identified in 19% (7/36) of cases as a practice to pay-off the TD. The arguments that support this suggestion include: (a) the developers’ task list is not burdened with additional TD related tasks, since these tasks are completed by hired professionals. This way, the existing developers can continue their work without the injection of new deadline-caused TD. (b) The Lack of technical knowledge and the Complexity of the TD item, together with the Lack of time count 8 out of 10 cases or 80% of all avoidance reasons for deadline-caused TD. Assuming that hired professionals can successfully tackle the lack of technical knowledge, cope with the complexity of the TD item and that new workforce provides for more time for existing developers, it can be also concluded that hiring professionals has the potential to tackle large share of all reasons why deadline-related TD is not paid off. This study has at least two limitations that should be recognized. First is that 79 responses are insufficient to provide the full representatives of the target population, which are the practitioners working in Serbian IT industry. Second is that the majority of the respondent’s role is junior developer which makes this study bias towards their point of view. Regardless that these limitations may weaken the results, the authors’ stance is that they still provide valuable insights, especially in the context of InsighTD project where they are aggregated with the results of other national teams. Regarding future work, a cross-country analysis will be performed with the available data from the InsighTD project to increase the generalizability of the findings.
References 1. Avgeriou, P., Kruchten, P., Ozkaya, I., Seaman, C.: Managing technical debt in software engineering (Dagstuhl Seminar 16162). Dagstuhl Rep. 6, 110–138 (2016). https://doi.org/10. 4230/DagRep.6.4.110.X 2. Kruchten, P., Nord, R.L., Ozkaya, I.: Technical debt: from metaphor to theory and practice. IEEE Softw. 29, 18–21 (2012)
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3. Shull, F., Falessi, D., Seaman, C., Diep, M., Layman, L.: Technical debt: showing the way for better transfer of empirical results. In: Münch, J., Schmid, K. (eds.) Perspectives on the Future of Software Engineering, pp. 179–190. Springer, Heidelberg (2013). https://doi.org/ 10.1007/978-3-642-37395-4_12 4. Rios, N., de Mendonça Neto, M.G., Sp´ınola, R.O.: A tertiary study on technical debt: types, management strategies, research trends, and base information for practitioners. Inf. Softw. Technol. 102, 117–145 (2018) 5. Alves, N.S., Mendes, T.S., de Mendonça, M.G., Sp´ınola, R.O., Shull, F., Seaman, C.: Identification and management of technical debt: a systematic mapping study. Inf. Softw. Technol. 70, 100–121 (2016) 6. Mandi´c, V., Taušan, N., Ramaˇc, R.: The prevalence of the technical debt concept in Serbian it industry: Results of a national-wide survey. In: International Conference on Technical Debt (techdebt 2020), Seoul, Republic of Korea, p. 10. ACM (2020) 7. Rios, N., Sp´ınola, R.O., Mendonça, M., Seaman, C.: The most common causes and effects of technical debt: first results from a global family of industrial surveys. In: Proceedings of the 12th ACM/IEEE International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement. ACM, New York (2018) 8. Ramaˇc, R., et al.: Common causes and effects of technical debt in Serbian it: InsighTD survey replication. In: Euromicro Conference on SEAA Slovenia. IEEE (2020) 9. López, G.: Technical debt in costa rica: an insightd survey replication. In: Franch, X., Männistö, T., Martínez-Fernández, S. (eds.) PROFES 2019. LNCS, vol. 11915, pp. 236–243. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35333-9_17 10. Freire, S., et al.: Surveying software practitioners on technical debt payment practices and reasons for not paying off debt items. In: Proceedings of the Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering. Association for Computing Machinery (2020) 11. Pérez, B., et al.: What are the practices use by software practitioners on technical debt payment? Results from an international family of surveys. In: International conference on technical debt (Techdebt 2020), Seoul, Republic of Korea, p. 10. ACM (2020) 12. Rios, N., Spínola, R.O., de Mendonça, M.G., Seaman, C.: The practitioners’ point of view on the concept of technical debt and its causes and consequences: a design for a global family of industrial surveys and its first results from Brazil. Empir. Softw. Eng. 25, 3216–3287 (2020) 13. Miles, M.B., Huberman, A.M.: Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook. Sage (1994)
The Path Towards Industry 4.0: A Comprehensive Methodology for Researching Serbian Manufacturing Industry: A Research Proposal Djerdj Horvat1(B) , Ugljesa Marjanovic2 , Marko Pavlovic2 , and Slavko Rakic2 1 Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany
[email protected] 2 Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Abstract. Since Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has become the guiding principle of manufacturing companies and policymakers in the majority of developed countries, many emerging economies have also adopted this concept to improve their national competitiveness and catch up with Western economies. The previous research presented that there are three main conditions for successful adoption and implementation of I4.0: technological, environmental, and organizational. Moreover, due to complexity caused by, e.g., cultural, political, economic, etc. differences, the conceptualization of such a methodology for emerging economies like Western Balkan countries is particularly challenging. Following the identified gap in lacking comprehensive research on the manufacturing sector’s readiness for industrial digital transformation in Western Balkan region (e.g. Republic of Serbia), in this paper is presented a research proposal for researching the I4.0 readiness of the Serbian manufacturing industry. Keywords: Industry 4.0 · Readiness assessment · Methodology · Manufacturing firms · Serbian industry
1 Introduction and Theory Background The digital transformation of the economy and society, in general, is a relevant topic both in the scientific community and in the industrial environment. With focus on the manufacturing sector, digital transformation is often described as the “fourth industrial revolution”, also known as I4.0 [1–3]. A European Commission report [4] argued that “a digital transition is underway across the global economy and industrial policy needs to integrate new technological opportunities such as cloud computing, big data, and data value chain developments, new industrial applications of the internet, smart factories, robotics, 3-D printing, and design”. It is believed that these new technologies will lead to disruptive changes in the manufacturing sector in the coming years [5–7]. Since I4.0 has become the guiding principle of manufacturing companies and policymakers in the majority of developed countries, many emerging economies have also © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 111–119, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_15
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adopted this concept to improve their national competitiveness and catch up with Western economies [8–10]. Transitional countries, like those in the Western Balkan region, have to be able to take full advantage of the technological opportunities from digitalization, having in mind the current gap between the developed and developing countries [11–13]. However, those countries are facing various structural, technological, and institutional hindrances that impede them from quickly catching up with more advanced countries [14–16]. More specifically, small and medium-sized manufacturing companies from the Western Balkan countries have serious problems grasping the overall idea of I4.0 and its specific concepts. Generally, the biggest challenge of these companies is to relate the concept of I4.0 to their business strategy and to determine their state of development regarding I4.0 [2]. Furthermore, those companies that invest in I4.0 technologies are engaged in a more complex environment than most of them are used to [12, 17]. This is causing their failure to identify an appropriate course of action in terms of further development towards digitalization strategies and prevents the integration of companies into international or national value chains and systems of innovation [13], which can either be supported by I4.0 or may be a pre-condition. To overcome uncertainty and dissatisfaction and to promote the systemic interaction of manufacturing companies regarding digitalization, new methods are needed to provide guidance and support when aligning business strategies and operations [3, 9, 17, 18]. In the case of emerging economies, this methodology should be highly contextualized for the country in which the analyses are to be conducted [16]. Because of the complexity caused by, e.g., cultural, political, economic, etc. differences, the conceptualization of such a methodology for Western Balkan countries is particularly challenging [3, 8, 10]. Until now, there is a lack of research on the manufacturing sector’s readiness for industrial digital transformation in this region. With conducted two European Manufacturing Survey (EMS) data sets (2015 and 2018), there is a basis for developing a valid methodology and for conducting reliable applied research in the Republic of Serbia [8, 10].
2 Objectives of the Research Proposal The main objective of the research proposal is to boost the implementation of I4.0 in the manufacturing sector of the Republic of Serbia through lightening the evolutionary path of the digitalization process. Thus, the research will help Serbian companies grasping the overall idea of I4.0 and enabling their integration into international or national value chains and systems of innovation. In the context of the main objective, specific activities are: (1) To conduct a quantitative analysis using the methodology for general readiness assessment and potential for the implementation of the elements of I4.0, to determine the Serbian level of maturity based on the existing European Manufacturing Survey database; (2) To develop a methodology for an in-depth readiness assessment of I4.0 with a specific conceptual approach for analysing manufacturing companies profiles concerning I4.0 in the Republic of Serbia;
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(3) To analyse the in-depth readiness assessment of Serbian companies and thereby to map the Serbian manufacturing industry in terms of the sophistication on the path to I4.0. (4) To identify the barriers to implementing digital technologies and adopting I4.0. (5) To improve the conditions for the digitalization of manufacturing companies in the Republic of Serbia by developing a toolbox of policy recommendations for data-driven digitalization strategies that enable their integration into international or national value chains and systems of innovation.
3 Methodology To obtain a comprehensive picture of the potential and perspectives of I4.0 in the Republic of Serbia, a multi-dimensional approach will be applied (Table 1). Multi-dimensionality, in this frame, refers to different analytical levels on the one hand and to diverse data and information sources on the other hand. Table 1. Research plan: methodology, objectives and expected results. Method Quantitative survey
Qualitative survey
Objective
Results
Method 1
European Manufacturing Survey Data Bases 2015, 2018
General readiness analysis; Benchmarking with other EMS countries
Descriptive statistics; Benchmark report
Method 2
Survey-based on a special FH-ISI methodology developed for assessing I4.0 readiness
In-depth quantitative readiness analyses; Potential analyses
In-depth descriptive statistics; industry mapping Report on Potentials
Method 3
Interviews in manufacturing companies based on FH-ISI methodology
Exploring and analysing barriers on the path of I4.0
Report on barriers; Set of policy recommendations
All those sources and dimensions will feed into the synoptic analysis of the current situation of I4.0 in the Republic of Serbia, particularly the readiness of Serbian manufacturing sectors for I4.0. This synopsis then serves as an analytic base for developing well-founded policy recommendations. 3.1 Method 1: General Readiness Assessment Based on EMS Data To assess the general readiness to digitalize, it is of particular interest whether companies use and combine several technologies at the same time or in which technological
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fields companies are increasingly active. For this purpose, the Fraunhofer ISI developed an I4.0 general readiness assessment methodology that combines the number of digital technologies used with three technological fields and thus provides information on the digitalization readiness of individual companies [19]. The Fraunhofer I4.0 readiness assessment approach is exclusively focused on technology. It is based on seven digital technologies: software system for production, planning and control, digital visualization at the work place, digital data exchange with customers/suppliers, techniques for automation and control of internal logistics, real-time production control system, mobile devices for programming and operation of plants and machines; and product life cycle management systems. These are combined into the following technology fields: Digital Management Systems, wireless human-machine communication, Cyber-Physical Production System (CPS) related processes. While the first two technology fields tend to cover digital basic technologies and still have a clear distance from I4.0, the third technology field already contains the first approaches of digitally networked production. Using this grouping, those companies that are closer to I4.0 are those who use and combine digital technologies in all three technology fields and use several of the CPS-related processes. By contrast, companies that only apply digital technologies in one or two technology fields are less willing to work for digitally networked production in the sense of I4.0. In this research, the basis for conducting General readiness assessment analysis represents the database built within the project “European Manufacturing Survey” (EMS) [20] carried out in the Republic of Serbia in two survey rounds, in 2015 and 2018 [9, 10]. The surveys used the scientifically based EMS methodology developed by EMS Consortium consisting of experts from research institutes and universities from and across Europe since 2001 and led by the Fraunhofer ISI. On a company level, EMS surveys the utilization of techno-organizational innovations in manufacturing and thereby possible performance increases in the manufacturing sector. EMS aims to utilize a core questionnaire, in the respective language of the country, in all partner countries and thus survey internationally comparable data allowing for internationally comparative analyses. EMS covers a core of indicators on the innovation fields “technical modernization of valueadding processes”, “introduction of innovative organizational concepts and processes”, and “new business models for complementing the product portfolio with innovative services”. The questions on these indicators have been agreed upon in the EMS consortium and are surveyed in all of the participating countries. In most countries, EMS is carried out as a written survey on the company level. For preparing multinational analyses, the national data undergo a joint validation/harmonization procedure. Analyses of the national data set of EMS serve to improve the scientific state of knowledge and policy counselling for evaluating technological and economic measures as well as information of associations and trade unions in the participating countries. Moreover, research cooperation executes multinational comparative analyses. Furthermore, EMS data constitute the basis for an informative performance benchmark offering companies the opportunity to benchmark themselves nationally as well as internationally with other companies.
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3.2 Method 2: In-Depth Readiness Assessment Based on a Tailor-Made Methodology In the second phase, using data from general readiness assessment analysis in combination with an extensive review of relevant scientific literature and the consultations with the experts in the field of digitalization and I4.0., an in-depth readiness assessment methodology will be designed and developed specifically for the Serbian manufacturing industry following the approach of Horvat et al. [2]. In contrast to the general readiness assessment methodology, which focuses solely on technology-based analyses, an in-depth readiness assessment methodology is supposed to introduce other non-technological aspects. Technological advancements need to be embedded in the companies’ structures and processes, as well as their “culture” [2, 21]. To give an example, the successful introduction of new (network-based) technologies might require changes to the existing organizational structures or qualification measures for in-house staff [2, 17]. Having in mind all the above, this part of the research consists of several key phases. As a part of the methodology development process, an extensive review of relevant literature sources and previous studies will be conducted. This will include several activities: identification of relevant literature sources and databases (electronic and print sources, etc.), the definition of key search terms, based on research goals, as well as the definition of search strategies and mechanisms, the identification and selection of relevant and primary/secondary studies, the inclusion/exclusion of studies based on selection criteria (quality appraisal), and finally a synthesis of literature review findings. Based on the literature review as well as previous experiences of the Fraunhofer ISI, assessment tool will be designed and developed, which will be used for data collection in the in-depth readiness assessment analysis. Thus, manifest variables identified as measures of their respectful latent structures will be operationalized, in the form of the questionnaire items, along with control variables. Such a questionnaire will be a subject of face and validity assessments with Serbian and German companies and research experts. Face validity could result in improvement recommendations, and therefore, if necessary, such corrections will be made in a timely manner. After the initial assessment of the research instrument, broader distribution of the questionnaire to potential respondents comes at the next phase. Thus, the research population and sample size will be calculated and determined. This phase will be done according to recommendations for sampling techniques elaborated in Bartlett et al. [21]. The main result of this phase will be a developed methodology for in-depth readiness assessment characterized by different “degrees of readiness for I4.0” which will be the foundation of a new methodology. Following, the developed assessment tool will be implemented in the form of a survey in the Republic of Serbia. After the estimation of the research population and sample size, the data gathering procedure will be performed using the methodology explained in Dillman et al. [22]. This approach consists of a series of follow-ups and reminders to provide a higher response rate. Also, this approach will give some basic remedies regarding sample and respondents’ biases. In short, randomly selected companies from the sample will be contacted by telephone to identify an appropriate respondent in each company. Employees responsible for production activities will be contacted as the most appropriate respondents because of the scope of the overall questionnaire, which is mostly related to production processes. After gathering information about the person responsible for
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production activities, the questionnaire will be sent out directly to that person by post or e-mail. This approach was previously used in conducting the EMS survey data collection when the validity of the methodology was confirmed two times through high response rates (about 35%), which led to a successful collection of a representative sample of the population. Data collected in the previous step will be used for conducting in-depth readiness assessment analysis by the developed methodology in phase 2, which results will be the basis for assessing the specific characteristics of Serbian manufacturing companies in the area of digitalization. Those obtained characteristics will be implemented to classify companies according to the developed methodology as well as to map the industry in terms of I4.0 sophistication. 3.3 Method 3: Qualitative Analysis of Barriers for Uptake I4.0 in Serbian Industry To identify and understand the issues for implementing digital transformation in the Serbian manufacturing sector, an additional qualitative study based on interviews with manufacturing companies and other stakeholders and experts, will be designed and conducted [23, 24]. For this explorative analysis, a conceptual framework will be developed relying on the systematic literature review and the main categories of the assessment tool developed and implemented in the in-depth quantitative analysis [25]. This conceptual framework will serve as the basis for designing interview guidelines. Between 10 and 15 expert interviews will be conducted with manufacturing companies covering the main sectors in the Republic of Serbia, various company sizes and all three regions, Belgrade, Vojvodina, and Central Serbia. In addition to interviews in companies, also is planned to conduct interviews with experts and stakeholders, e.g., researchers, politicians, consultants, intermediary organizations. All interviews will be recorded, transcribed and the data will be analyzed based on the developed conceptual framework. The results will be described and interpreted in the final report and will serve as the basis for developing policy recommendations for the modernization of the Serbian industry as well as for potential I4.0 strategies in the Republic of Serbia.
4 Expected Results and Conclusion Assessing and mapping manufacturing companies in the Republic of Serbia in the context of their level of readiness for I4.0 will provide a novel insight for interdisciplinary researchers into possibilities for the monitoring of industrial modernization in emerging economies, with a particular focus on the Western Balkan region. Moreover, it will help in the modernization of manufacturing companies in the Republic of Serbia on their path to a higher level of digitalization (i.e., industrial engineering, mechatronics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, logistics, etc.). Besides the classical, solely technology-focused research in this field, the research will also significantly contribute to non-technological areas. It will point to the fields of human resources and competences in digital surroundings as well as the improvement of organizational and management concepts, including new business models and digital innovation. Thus, it will contribute to the establishment of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary scientific
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research groups in the Western Balkan region and Germany, facilitated through new knowledge arising from this research. The research will focus on involving universities and other research organizations in the main activities, as well as engaging with manufacturing companies (SMEs and large enterprises) and public policy bodies as primary stakeholders in the I4.0 related activities. Regarding the implementation of I4.0 in the Republic of Serbia, this research could help the government to take on a leading role and be in the frame of providing modernization support instruments for the industry. On the other hand, the main challenges for Serbian companies in terms of their digital transformation are the reduction of uncertainty related to financing the respective projects, the understanding of medium- to long-term benefits of digitalization, and the effective qualification of employees. Overall, the research will help the Serbian manufacturing sector to increase regional and international competitiveness and thus having a positive effect on economic stability, growth, and quality of life. Through joint research activities and the cooperation between the Fraunhofer ISI and the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, the engagement of young researchers from both sides will result in building a new research and knowledge base. Therefore, various research methods will be used, such as systematic literature reviews, the development of research instruments (questionnaires), and systematic data collection, different statistical analysis, writing of scientific papers for high-level journals and international conferences, PhD theses design, and focused scientific as well as practiceoriented reports. Hence, the knowledge transfer will contribute to the quality of the research work, particularly by young researchers, in both countries and thus improving their international visibility and competitiveness. Funding. This research is supported and partially financed by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia under the grant Serbian Science and Diaspora Collaboration Program: Vouchers for Knowledge Exchange, (PI4SM) “The Path Towards Industry 4.0 – Serbian Manufacturing”.
References 1. Kagermann, H., Wahlster, W., Helbig, J.: Securing the future of German manufacturing industry: recommendations for implementing the strategic initiative INDUSTRIE 4.0. Final Report Industrie 4.0 Working Group, no. April, pp. 1–84 (2013) 2. Horvat, D., Stahlecker, T., Zenker, A., Lerch, C., Mladineo, M.: A conceptual approach to analysing manufacturing companies’ profiles concerning Industry 4.0 in emerging economies. Proc. Manuf. 17, 419–426 (2018) 3. Lalic, B., Rakic, S., Marjanovic, U.: Use of industry 4.0 and organisational innovation concepts in the Serbian textile and apparel industry. Fibres Text. East. Eur. 27(3), 10–18 (2019) 4. Herbert, D.: Industrial Policy in the EU. European Commision (2016) 5. Dong, X., McIntyre, S.H.: The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies, vol. 14, no. 11 (2014) 6. Matzler, K., Bailom, F., von den Eichen, S.F., Anschober, M.: Digital Disruption: Wie Sie Ihr Unternehmen auf das digitale Zeitalter vorbereiten (2016) 7. Wang, S., Wan, J., Li, D., Zhang, C.: Implementing smart factory of industrie 4.0: an outlook. Int. J. Distrib. Sens. Netw. 1–11 (2016)
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8. Medi´c, N., Aniši´c, Z., Lali´c, B., Marjanovi´c, U., Brezocnik, M.: Hybrid fuzzy multi-attribute decision making model for evaluation of advanced digital technologies in manufacturing: industry 4.0 perspective. Adv. Prod. Eng. Manag. 14(4), 483–493 (2019) 9. Marjanovic, U., Rakic, S., Lalic, B.: Digital servitization: the next ‘big thing’ in manufacturing industries. In: Ameri, F., Stecke, K., von Cieminski, G., Kiritsis, D. (eds.) APMS 2019. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol. 566, pp. 510–517. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30000-5_63 10. Lalic, B., Marjanovic, U., Rakic, S., Pavlovic, M., Todorovic, T., Medic, N.: Big data analysis as a digital service: evidence form manufacturing firms. In: Wang, L., Majstorovic, V., Mourtzis, D., Carpanzano, E., Moroni, G., Galantucci, L. (eds.) Industry 4.0 Model for Advanced Manufacturing. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering, pp. 263–269. Springer, Cham (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46212-3_19 ´ c, I.: The implementation of ERP and MES Systems 11. Beri´c, D., Stefanovi´c, D., Lali´c, B., Cosi´ as a support to industrial management systems. Int. J. Ind. Eng. Manag. 9(2), 77–86 (2018) 12. Bogoviz, A.V., Osipov, V.S., Chistyakova, M.K., Borisov, M.Y.: Comparative analysis of formation of industry 4.0 in developed and developing countries. In: Popkova, E.G., Ragulina, Y.V., Bogoviz, A.V. (eds.) Industry 4.0: Industrial Revolution of the 21st Century. SSDC, vol. 169, pp. 155–164. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94310-7_15 13. Nagy, J., Oláh, J., Erdei, E., Máté, D., Popp, J.: The role and impact of industry 4.0 and the internet of things on the business strategy of the value chain-the case of Hungary. Sustainability 10(10), 3491 (2018) 14. Altenburg, T.: Building inclusive innovation systems in developing countries: Challenges for IS research. In: Handbook of Innovation Systems and Developing Countries: Building Domestic Capabilities in a Global Setting, pp. 33–56 (2009) 15. Kamble, S.S., Gunasekaran, A., Sharma, R.: Analysis of the driving and dependence power of barriers to adopt industry 4.0 in Indian manufacturing industry. Comput. Ind. 101, 107–119 (2018) 16. Iazzolino, G., Migliano, G., Dattilo, M.I.: The impact of intellectual capital on firms’ characteristics: an empirical analysis on European listed manufacturing companies. Int. J. Ind. Eng. Manag. 10(3), 219–237 (2019) 17. Schumacher, A., Erol, S., Sihn, W.: A maturity model for assessing industry 4.0 readiness and maturity of manufacturing enterprises. Proc. CIRP 52(December), 161–166 (2016) 18. Veža, I., Marko, M., Gjeldum, N.: Evaluation of industrial maturity level: a case study of Croatia, pp. 1–8 (2016) 19. Lerch, C., Jäger, A., Maloca, S.: Wie digital ist Deutschlands Industrie wirklich? Arbeit und Produktivität in der digitalen Produktion. Mitteilungen aus der ISI-Erhebung-Modernisierung der Produktion, no. 71, (2017) 20. Jäger, A.: European manufacturing survey. Fraunhofer ISI (2018). Accessed 21 Aug 2020 21. Higgins, C.C., Bartlett, J.E., Kotrlik, J.W.: Organizational research: determining appropriate sample size in survey research. Chem. Heterocycl. Compd. 8(11), 1380–1382 (1972) 22. Osmond, M.W., Dillman, D.A.: Mail and telephone surveys: the total design method, vol. 57, no. 3 (1979) 23. Pavlovi´c, M., Marjanovi´c, U., Raki´c, S., Tasi´c, N., Lali´c, B.: The big potential of big data in manufacturing: evidence from emerging economies. In: Lalic, B., Majstorovic, V., Marjanovic, U., von Cieminski, G., Romero, D. (eds.) APMS 2020. IAICT, vol. 592, pp. 100–107. Springer, Cham (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57997-5_12
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24. Rakic, S., Simeunovic, N., Medic, N., Pavlovic, M., Marjanovic, U.: The role of service business models in the manufacturing of transition economies. In: Lalic, B., Majstorovic, V., Marjanovic, U., von Cieminski, G., Romero, D. (eds.) APMS 2020. IAICT, vol. 592, pp. 299–306. Springer, Cham (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57997-5_35 25. Raj, A., Dwivedi, G., Sharma, A., de Sousa Jabbour, A.B.L., Rajak, S.: Barriers to the adoption of industry 4.0 technologies in the manufacturing sector: an inter-country comparative perspective. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 224, 107546 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2019. 107546
Analysis of Influential Elements of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Jelena Raut1(B) , Slavica Mitrovi´c Veljkovi´c1 , Boban Melovi´c2 , - Celi´ ´ c1 ˇ ckovi´c3 , and Ðorde Eda Ribari´c Cuˇ 1 Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia
[email protected] 2 Faculty of Economics, University of Montenegro, 80000 Podgorica, Montenegro 3 Polytechnic of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract. It is evident that change is ever-present in today’s uncertain market conditions. The countries that recognize this are predisposed to reaching significant economic growth and development. Furthermore, it is important for all countries to acknowledge that the concept of growth and development has changed, compared to what it used to be in the beginning of the 21st century. Economy is now going through structural changes, from the, until now, dominant “mass economy” based on mass production and use of energy resources, to the “economy of knowledge” in which there is a market shift towards the factor of knowledge. This poses one of the most crucial challenges the countries around the world have been facing in the past decade and it is a challenge closely related to the growing importance of non-physical capital, i.e. human and intellectual capital in creating opportunities and wealth. The last few decades have seen an increase in entrepreneurial endeavors, which has certainly helped to tackle, overcome and benefit from the changes in uncertain environments. Hence the widespread understanding that the success of the economy of knowledge greatly depends on entrepreneurship, which is one of the main initiators and motors of economic growth and development. The notion of entrepreneurship has evolved as well, into a more holistic and multifaceted understanding of entrepreneurship, where there is a growing opinion that sees “ecosystems as supporters of entrepreneurship”. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influential elements of entrepreneurial ecosystems, through a theoretical overview, during the entire life cycle of a new venture. Keywords: Entrepreneurship · Entrepreneurial ecosystem · Influential elements of entrepreneurial ecosystems · Competitiveness
1 Introduction Entrepreneurship plays a significant role in economic development, however, its activities do not take place in isolation from the local context in which entrepreneurs operate. A holistic approach to entrepreneurship and innovation has become a new trend in observing these concepts. When we look back at research of the relationship between entrepreneurship and innovation, for almost two decades the studies have been focused © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 120–127, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_16
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on environments that influence innovation [1, 2]. In latter reasearch, it was postulated that innovation is comprised of two chief elements - institution and enterprise [3]. The latest trend in studying innovation and entrepreneurship favors the multifunctional and multidisciplinary approach [3, 4], where various literature contributes to the holistic view of entrepreneurship [5–7]. In other words, studying innovation and entrepreneurship has not been focusing on traits of an individual, their personality and behaviour, which are all important factors in understanding entrepreneurial activity as a whole. The holistic approach has become and new step in defining entrepreneurial policies [4, 8–10], and it focuses on the role of entrepreneurial ecosystems and related activities, where these ecosystems are adaptable and sustainable. A holistic approach advocates the exploration of entrepreneurial activity, as an individual behavior of entrepreneurs embedded in the local context, rather than focusing on entrepreneurial activities in isolation. Creating a local context is of great importance for encouraging entrepreneurship and economic development. On the one hand, the action of an individual is the result of attitudes, aspirations and opportunities provided in a particular context, related to where the individual lives and works [6]. On the other hand, the local context influences the start-up of a company and the speed in which it develops [11]. Researchers have recognized the importance of such holistic approach, as it gives them greater access to information, networking, finance, infrastructure and other elements of an entrepreneurial ecosystem, which will be described in more detail below.
2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Entrepreneurship is in a positive correlation with economic growth and development. Entrepreneurs are people who innovate, they are everywhere, in every society, and they find ways to place their products on the market. In case that somebody wants to become an entrepreneur, he should start up a new business or establish a new business unit in a different, innovative manner compared to the existing one practice. Those are conditions which initiate the need to implement entrepreneurial management and appropriate education in this area [32]. Before defining an entrepreneurial ecosystem, it is important to define the terms system and ecosystem. A system is a set of organized interactive and interdependent subsystems, which function together as a whole, to achieve a specific purpose, while an ecosystem is a purposeful network of dynamic, interactive systems and subsystems that have a variable set of activities in today’s context [12]. The purpose of the research lines launched in this context is not only to determine the abundance of certain key factors or resources that shape economic performance, it is also the way in which entrepreneurial activity is organized and configured within a certain geographical area. The entrepreneurial ecosystem is a new way of contextualizing all of the complex social systems. The dynamics of entrepreneurship do not take place in isolation from the local context in which entrepreneurs operate [4]. In other words, individual entrepreneurial activity and contextual factors, which are of great importance, are also recognized. On the one hand, an individual’s action is the result of attitudes, opportunities and aspirations in a particular context, in which the individual acts, and on the other hand, the local context affects the start-up of the company and the speed in which the company develops [13]. In their research, Miller and Acs (2017) raised the question that arises in the analysis of
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entrepreneurial ecosystems - what is the appropriate unit of analysis of entrepreneurial ecosystems? They raised the question of whether the entrepreneurial system can be one country, city, region or something smaller, such as an incubator. What is an important characteristic of the modern entrepreneurial ecosystem is that it offers characteristic opportunities, which include available resources, freedom and diversity, which at the same time create opportunities that encourage entrepreneurship and innovation [28]. Acs (2014) defines entrepreneurial ecosystems as “Dynamic, institutionally embedded interactions between entrepreneurial attitudes, abilities and aspirations of individuals, which drive the allocation of resources, through creation and operation of new ventures” [4]. Stam (2014) also has an insight into the entrepreneurial ecosystem and views it as an “Interdependent set of actors, arranged in such a way as to enable entrepreneurial action” [5]. Audretsch (2017) defines the entrepreneurial ecosystem as an important interaction between the contextual domain of an ecosystem and individual decision-making, which is guided by attitudes and perception of the context [14]. Based on the above definitions, it can be concluded that entrepreneurial ecosystems are geographically limited and that the same elements of entrepreneurial ecosystems differ from the observed geographical area. The first is that entrepreneurship is rooted in actions taken on the basis of environmental incentives. The second is that individual entrepreneurial action is influenced by institutional framework conditions, and the third is that entrepreneurial ecosystems are complex, multi-layered structures, in which many elements interact, that the elements are different depending on the observed area and that there is no size that fits all analyses.
3 Analysis of Elements of an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem There are several directions when reasearching an entrepreneurial ecosystem. In this paper the focus will be on the Global Entrepreneurhip Index powered by GEI research [15]. In addition to this, a very important research of entrepreneurial ecosystems is The Regional Entrepreneurship and Development Index - Measuring Regional Entrepreneurship [6] which differs from the aforementioned research because it analyzes entrepreneurial ecosystems in different regions. The REDI research has made significant progress in taking a holistic approach to the analysis of entrepreneurship and innovation. In addition to the stated directions in the research of entrepreneurial ecosystems, a very important research is also the one set by Stam and van de Ven [31]. They view the entrepreneurial ecosystem as a driver of successful entrepreneurship and the institutional environment and resource endowments. Identifying the main elements of an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the GEI survey aims to measure the quality of entrepreneurship in the observed country and the scope and quality of support to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The elements of entrepreneurial ecosystems are very complex, and one of the most important reasons for this is the fact that entrepreneurship plays a different role at different stages of development. The GEI research views an entrepreneurial ecosystem through three major entities - entrepreneurial attitudes, entrepreneurial skills, and entrepreneurial aspirations. These three large units are broken down into 14 elements of an entrepreneurial ecosystem, each of which contains two variables - the individual variable and the institutional variable, in order to satisfy the aspect of entrepreneurship at the micro and macro level. According to the GEI methodology, elements of entrepreneurial
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ecosystems are divided into three groups – entrepreneurial attitudes, entrepreneurial skills and entrepreneurial aspiration. In the following, each of the listed elements of entrepreneurial ecosystems, according to the GEI methodology, will be explained in more detail. 3.1 Entrepreneurial Attitudes Entrepreneurial attitudes give us insight into how a country thinks about entrepreneurship. According to the GEI research [15], entrepreneurial attitudes include five elements of an entrepreneurial ecosystem. The first element is the perception of opportunities, viewed from the aspect of property rights and regulatory strains, which could potentially limit the use of a perceived entrepreneurial opportunity. When looking at property rights, as defining factors in the perception of possibilities, it can be said that they pose an assessment of an individual’s ability to accumulate private property, which is secured by clear laws that a country applies [16]. In other words, it is an enforced guarantee regarding the property rights that individuals have when they are obtaining positive results, based on the use of a successful business opportunity, without anyone else having the opportunity to confiscate or steal that right from them. The second element is the skill of starting up. Start-up skills can be crucial to exploiting perceived opportunities. Start-up skills depend on self-esteem of a population and their ability to start a successful business, through the prism of skills and the quality of education [17]. The third element is the ability to accept risk. When entrepreneurial traits are observed in the literature, the fear of failure is one of the biggest obstacles to exploiting a perceived market opportunity. Although risk represents the possibility of unforeseen and unintended consequences, the fear of accepting risk and the fear of failure can not only slow down entrepreneurship, but can even negatively affect a potential business start-up. The fourth element is networking. Networks represent the presence of social networks to which entrepreneurs, advisors, investors connect, and such networks enable a free flow of knowledge and skills. Networking is a combination of an entrepreneur’s personal knowledge with their ability to connect with others locally, regionally and globally. Networking is an important component of a successful entrepreneurial venture. Those entrepreneurs who have a more developed network are more successful because they can identify more opportunities and can access better resources. Networking and social media are the latest trend in the modern business world and are significantly changing the way people present themselves as well as the way they do business. When dealing with social media, companies need to know that they have taken a step back. Regular education is needed, as well as following trends and examples from practice in order to progress [18]. Finally, the fifth element of entrepreneurial attitudes is cultural support. Cultural attitudes support entrepreneurial activity, risk-taking and innovation. High levels of corruption can undermine the high status and permanent career paths of legitimate entrepreneurs. Cultural support reflects how a country’s residents view entrepreneurs in terms of status and career choices and how the level of corruption in the country affects them. If there is no strong cultural support in the country, even the best entrepreneurs can still opt for a traditional, instead of an entrepreneurial profession [19]. This is precisely the reason why, cultural support, that is, acceptance and encouragement of entrepreneurs, represent very important parts of entrepreneurial attitudes.
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3.2 Entrepreneurial Skills Entrepreneurial skills provide answers to questions of what can be done and whether there actually exist the necessary skills to transform an idea into practice. The focus of entrepreneurial skills is on measuring the important characteristics of entrepreneurs and on reaching a potentially high growth of a company. The first element of this group is seizing the opportunity to start an entrepreneurial venture. Motivation is defined as the use of entrepreneurial opportunity, in order to take advantage of a good opportunity, to increase income or to meet personal goals [20]. Entrepreneurial motivation is also influenced by the favorable business environment, i.e. the freedom to start and do business. The second element is the absorption of technology. As we live in a modern economy, one that is based in knowledge, information and communication technologies play a vital role in economic development. What is very important in the analysis of this element is that not all the sectors provide the same chances for survival of a company or its potential growth. The third element is human capital. As aforementioned, the knowledge economy is focusing its trends on investing in human capital, as opposed to the mass economy, which is centered around materials and energy. Investing in human capital can increase production capacity more than any other factor of production. Since investments in human capital are characterized by an increase in the rate of return on investment, they are key to long-term economic growth. Investing in human capital is vital for innovative and high-growing ventures because they require educated and experienced people, who are prone to continuous learning and improvement. The need for continual improvement is the imperative for each enterprise in order to maintain its competitiveness in an increasingly changing market environment [27]. As expected, it is difficult to invest in human capital, but this sort of investment is profitable in the long run because it increases the quality of human capital and has a positive impact on a company’s business and its growth potential [21]. The last element that is included in this group is competition. Companies facing a low level of competition could certainly grow faster than those facing a lot of competition [16]. If powerful business groups dominate the market, it is likely that the entrepreneur will give up pursuing his business idea [22]. 3.3 Entrepreneurial Aspirations Entrepreneurial aspirations speak about entrepreneurial desires and ambitions. The first element in this group is product innovation. Some products play crucial roles in economies of countries around the world. Developed countries were once the greatest source of new products, but today, developing countries produce such outputs, but in a dramatically more affordable fashion than their Western counterparts. Absorption of a new product is a measure of a country’s potential to generate new products and to adopt or imitate existing products. Technology transfer is a complex measure that signals if a business environment allows for the application of innovation needed to develop new products [21]. The second element is process innovation, which considers the importance of applying and/or creating a new technology, which is also an important feature of companies with high growth potential. However, most entrepreneurial companies do not merely apply new technology, they create it. After that, the third element is high growth. High growth is a measure that represents the percentage of high-growth companies that
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intend to employ at least 10 people and plan to grow by more than 50% in the period of 5 years, where the sophistication of business strategy and venture capital financing play a major role. Business strategy is very important for the potential of reaching high growth, because it refers to the ability of companies to follow distinctive strategies, which includes differentiated market positioning and innovative means of production and service delivery [16]. The fourth element is internationalization, which is believed to be the main growth defining factor. Exports are very important for internationalization, as well as institutions. Exports require all the capabilities that a company needs, in order to enable production that does not exclusively supply the domestic market. On the other hand, the institutional dimension and openness of a country toward international entrepreneurs is also very important. Internationalization is an element designed to identify the degree to which entrepreneurs in a country are internationalized, which is measured by the export potential of an enterprise, followed by control over the extent to which a country is able to produce complex products for foreign markets [23]. Finally, the last element of this group is venture capital. The availability of venture capital, especially when it comes to core capital, and not debt capital, is a prerequisite for meeting entrepreneurial aspirations, which goes beyond the entrepreneurial personality and financial resources [24]. Funding opportunities are often seen as the most important aspect of exploiting the potential for high growth.
4 Conclusion Entrepreneurial ecosystems are resource allocation systems that facilitate the allocation of resources to serve a productive purpose and use. Entrepreneurial ecosystems are enabled by the widespread trend of digitalization, which constantly opens up opportunities to re-examine value-creating activities through business model innovations. Precisely because of this feature, entrepreneurial ecosystems are the key driver of progress towards a digital economy [25]. As can be concluded from the above, digitalization and entrepreneurial ecosystems are interconnected. Digitization connects entrepreneurial ecosystems at the global, national, regional, industrial and/or corporate levels [29]. Another very important element that affects the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems is certainly university support, which has become a widespread phenomenon around the world. Such organizations have a great influence on the development of entrepreneurship. Given the growing importance of student firms, it has been found that university entrepreneurial projects can have positive effects on the development of new products, and thus entrepreneurial ecosystems [30]. Entrepreneurial ecosystems are an important subject of policy, but also a very challenging subject, which is observed as a systemic phenomenon, the dynamics of which are not easily reduced to actions at the company level and require a holistic approach [26]. In understanding entrepreneurship, it can be said that it is similar to other social beings. Entrepreneurship is a multidimensional phenomenon, the exact meaning of which is very difficult to determine precisely. What is even more demanding is how we measure entrepreneurship. Over the decades, certain indicators of entrepreneurship have been created, however, none have been able to reflect the complex nature of entrepreneurship and provide a credible explanation of its role in development. The GEI research is one of the first surveys, the result of
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which is a complex index that measures entrepreneurial ecosystems at the national level, which demonstrates the multiple nature of entrepreneurship. As already stated, the GEI research places emphasis on both individuals and the institutional environment, because only in this way can accurate assumptions be obtained for the analysis of elements of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Finally, after analyzing the elements of entrepreneurial ecosystems and determining the degree of success of each element, it is recommended to focus primarily on the weakest element of an entrepreneurial ecosystem, in order to achieve the greatest profit. However, in order to improve the overall performance of an entrepreneurial ecosystem, work must be done on all the poorly rated elements of that entrepreneurial ecosystem as this is the only way to improve it effectively. As discussed in the paper, the GEI research is not the only survey that provides indicators for measuring entrepreneurship, but it certainly stands out as a valuable tool that measures and analyzes entrepreneurship at the country level. The proposal for future research is a direction towards the research of personal factors of individuals, because these are the factors that drive innovation, then implementation, and finally the growth of entrepreneurial ecosystems.
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Metal Artefact Reduction from CT Images Using Matlab Andrea Gutai(B)
, Dunja Sekuli´c , and Ivana Spasojevi´c
Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovi´ca 6, Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. Artefacts are common threats in computed tomography images, which deteriorate the image quality and limit the diagnostic value of the examination that results in lower treatment outcomes. Degradation of CT image quality is happening due to the metal implants, which are shown as dark and bright streaks across the image. Beam hardening and photon starvation are main reasons for presence of artefacts in CT images caused by dental fillings, surgical clips, artificial hips etc. Metal artefact reduction methods have been one of the most common subjects of recent research in the field of medical imaging. The aim of this paper is to propose a methodology for artefacts reduction using Matlab, which benefits the suppression of artefacts in the image domain. Reconstruction of images is based on thresholding techniques and manipulation of pixel data to accomplish the correction of CT images. Results show that it is possible to reduce streaking artefacts and thus enhance medical image quality. Keywords: Computed Tomography (CT) · Metal Artefact Reduction (MAR) · Medical imaging · Otsu’s method · Image segmentation · Threshold mask
1 Introduction The role of medical imaging in predictions, patient diagnosis and treatment of disease is indisputable owing to their conveyance of reliable anatomical information. Computed Tomography (CT) uses X-rays to generate cross-sectional images of internal organs, bones and soft tissues with the aid of computer processing. Numerous types of artefacts are present in the CT image domain due to the high probability of errors. Issues appear when image derived from numerous X-ray projections contains many measurements that are back projected to reconstruct the image. Artefacts could be determined as misrepresented content of the medical image that is not present in the real and original object [1]. As a consequence of aforementioned, artefacts can lead to misdiagnosis if they are not properly identified and later rectified. Presence of metallic implants with high atomic number in the patient’s body leads to deterioration of CT image quality. High-density objects such as dental fillings, prosthetics, surgical clips and artificial hips contribute to the loss of projection data in the form of bright and dark streaking artefacts. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 128–134, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_17
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Metal artefacts are caused by a combination of mechanisms and physical phenomena, including photon starvation, beam hardening, Compton scattering, noise, patient-induced artefacts [2, 3] etc. Most commonly reviewed and encountered in the literature are beam hardening and photon starvation [4]. Photon starvation artefacts are caused by a deficit of photons reaching the detector. X-ray beams become attenuated and consequently insufficient photons reach the detector and result in strong streak artefacts. Whereas, beam-hardening artefacts appear as cupping, streaks or dark bands between several dense objects, such as bones or metals. Increase in the mean energy of the X-ray beams occurs as beam passes through the scanned object. Lower energy photons of the polychromatic X-rays are preferentially attenuated, whereas higher energy photons are harder to be absorbed. As an outcome, beam is diminished in intensity that lead to the representation of the scanned object with edges brighter than the centre despite the fact it consists of the same material. The rest of the paper is organized as follows: Sect. 2 contains related work, while Sect. 3 describes the method used for metal artefact reduction using Matlab in the image domain. Section 4 presents achieved results with discussion. Finally, Sect. 5 hold the author’s conclusion.
2 Related Work Artificial metallic implants, which are present in the scanned object, evoke streaking. If it is possible before the scan procedure, removable objects such as jewellery are taken off. Non-removable metallic items demand further corrections with increasing radiation or adjustment of gantry angle. If these methods are insufficient to overcome disruptions, there is an obvious need for algorithms to be implemented. Metal artefact reduction (MAR) methods represent the topic of contemporary research and therefore various approaches have been proposed for the elimination of artefacts actuated by metallic implants. A variety of algorithms are developed and can be classified into two groups: implicit and explicit methods [5]. Implicit methods include attempts to reduce artefacts without the aid of algorithmic mathematical methods and they are quite limited in applicability. On the contrary, fundamentals of explicit methods are mathematical algorithms and represent the focal point of researches. Explicit methods include approaches regarding sinogram domain, image domain, iterative reconstruction algorithms and hybrid techniques. Corrections in the sinogram domain are distributed into two groups: interpolationbased sinogam and non-interpolation-based sinogram corrections [5]. Several steps such as isolating affected regions in sinogram, while using interpolation techniques and later reconstruction are habitual operations used in the first scenario. Image-based approaches include replacement of the corrupted pixels, generally by a constant value. One of the proposed models include image segmentation, image inpainting to fill corrupted parts and projection completion [6]. Differentiation between the metallic objects and surrounding tissues represents a challenging task in general, but the proposed algorithm accurately reconstructs the image.
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Iterative image reconstruction methods include algebraic and statistical techniques. Algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) and maximum likelihood-expectation maximization (ML-EM) [7] require not only high computational time but also introduce subsequent high costs. Hybrid techniques represent the integration of different approaches intended to overcome deficiencies in individual implementation of methods. Hybrid MAR method is proposed in [8], as the consolidation of various methods where research group concluded that specific hybrid method showed superior outcomes compared to linear interpolation and forward projection-based methods. In the past decade the widespread use of machine learning techniques is present regarding numerous implementation such as [9, 10], where proposed models are used for detection of inaccuracies in the credit card frauds or recognition of vehicle’s license plates. In the medical imaging domain deep learning, as a part of machine learning, is used for image analysis with learning algorithms, such as neural networks. Among prior mentioned approaches regarding MAR methods, in recent researches subject matter represents the usage of convolutional neural network (CNN) and deep learning for image reconstruction and metal artefact suppression. Deep-learning-based method combat the problems in the projection data domain, metal implants are regarded as missing data while deep network is used to complete such data in the projection domain. Computational efficiency and simple adoption in scanners represent a major benefit regarding this approach [11]. Hegazy et al. implemented U-Net for metal segmentation in projection domain to improve artefact reduction performance in dental CT [12]. Fusion of two CT images, original raw projection data and corrected one, was forward-projected and fused data substituted metal regions in the original projection data. This kind of segmentation demonstrated better performance than the conventional segmentation methods in the image domain. Zhang et al. also propose the concept of convolution neural network in medical imaging and artefact reduction where the performance in terms of artefact reduction and maintenance was tested on both real and simulated data [13]. Another work represents usage of simple network with three convolutional layers and results reflect some limitations regarding loss of projection data in the affected image region in addition to remained mild artefacts [14]. Depending on the data that is used for artefact reduction methods in CT, apart from the CT data, corresponding data from tri-modality imaging systems, dataset of positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance MR and CT data, is also used. Dataset from tri-modality system, specifically corresponding MR image is used as additional information in [15] reduction method that shows promising results for the future implementation in medical imaging. Additionally, in some instances simulated artefact data serve as input for methods while real data without artefacts serve as ground truth, to ensure whether the MAR algorithm has valid or invalid outcomes.
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3 Methods The present study aims to represent the implementation of the methodology for suppressing artefacts in dental CT imaging using methods for detection artefacts and later rectification. The proposed algorithm comprises of two essential steps: detection of metal artefacts and substitution of corrupted pixels. The detection of artefacts is accomplished using Otsu’s thresholding technique for image segmentation, that is widely used for extraction relevant information from the image. For this step, Otsu’s method is used for image segmentation that executes conversion of digital grey level image to binary image depending on the threshold values [16]. Two classes of pixels are present, foreground and background pixels of the image where is intended to isolate region of interest from the background. The original CT image has diverse dental artefacts that are represented as bright streaking lines across the CT image (Fig. 1). Otsu’s method is automatic thresholding, that minimizes the variance within the class. The selection of suitable number of classes in thresholding is 50, which means that the image is segmented into 50 separate classes (n = 50). After implementation of Otsu’s thresholding method, corrupted pixels are shown as white pixels in the obtained threshold mask (Fig. 2).
Fig. 1. Original CT image
Second step considers the usage of two dimensional 3 × 3 window (kernel) that moves across the image, pixel by pixel, positioning the window over the central pixel through the entire image. If the central pixel is corrupted, its value is changed and an output image is created from pixels that are replaced with the mean value from neighbouring pixels in the 3 × 3 kernel, based on the values under the mask. In case the central pixel is not corrupted, the central pixel’s value remains unchanged and the kernel is sled to the next position. CT images are in DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) format. Matlab is capable of reading the DICOM format and stores the image in an array. Images have 512 × 512 Gy scale pixel resolution, so there is an obvious need for additional rows
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Fig. 2. Corresponding threshold mask
and columns at the edges of the image, considering limited applicability of the method to border pixels. The first two and the last two columns, as well as the first two and the last two rows are replicated at edges of the image. After addition of rows and columns CT image now has 516 × 516 Gy scale pixel resolution.
4 Results and Discussion Metal artefacts can corrupt CT images so severely that they become major challenge for interpretation and for later diagnostic purpose. In this paper, an image-based method is proposed to reduce artefacts caused by permanent metallic implants in CT images. The performance of this method is evaluated on a real dataset, not simulated data and all algorithms for this study were developed in Matlab. The results of the proposed method are shown in Fig. 3.
Fig. 3. CT image after the implementation of the proposed method
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This paper is based on CT images with dental fillings, due to the fact that majority of patients possess dental metallic implants that cause missing projection data and streaking lines. Considering the results of study conducted on population of 100 patients, the 78% had dental fillings or implants containing some other material such as silver, while 16% of population had orthopaedic hips and 6% of sample had some metallic hardware [7]. In the future, this method can be implemented not only for dental fillings but also for wide range of CT images disturbed by artefacts that originate from artefacts other then dental fillings. Further improvement could be to use a larger number of classes in order to perform better segmentation. The contribution to the level of artefacts in concrete image depends on the type, size, position and density of the metallic implant. The most effective way for reducing metal artefacts is to prevent them by using implants that are not metallic, e.g. titanium or removal of metal implants, but that is not a common practice in clinical conditions.
5 Conclusion This paper aims to propose method for the reduction of streaking artefacts caused by metallic objects in X-ray Computed Tomography images. Metal artefacts can severely degrade the interpretability of CT image owing to the presence of inaccuracies in medical imaging. The objective of this research is to identify corrupted regions (pixels) in CT images and replace them with the mean value from uncorrupted neighbouring pixels. Further research should consider implementation of a 5 × 5 sliding window instead of 3 × 3 that is presented in this approach in order to upgrade the current approach. Furthermore, enhancement of artefact detection method might be addressed in future studies due to the limitation that CT generally possess, bone structures have high atomic values as well as metallic implants and thus they can be easily mistaken and it cannot be clearly defined whether it is an artefact or just a bone.
References 1. Veikutis, V., et al.: Artifacts in computer tomography imaging: how it can really affect diagnostic image quality and confuse clinical diagnosis? J. Vibroeng. 17, 995–1003 (2015) 2. Mahesh, M.: MDCT Physics: The Basics: Technology. Image Quality and Radiation Dose. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia (2012) 3. Gjesteby, L., et al.: Metal artifact reduction in CT: where are we after four decades? IEEE Access 4, 5826–5849 (2016) 4. Katsura, M., Sato, J., Akahane, M., Kunimatsu, A., Abe, O.: Current and novel techniques for metal artifact reduction at CT: practical guide for radiologists. Radiographics 38, 450–461 (2018) 5. Anderla, A., Culibrk, D., Delso, G.: Metal artifact reduction from CT images using complementary MR images. In: TELSIKS 2013, pp. 337–340 (2013) 6. Luzhbin, D., Wu, J.: Model image-based metal artifact reduction for computed tomography. J. Digit. Imaging 33(1), 71–82 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10278-019-00210-6 7. Reinert, C.P., Fougere, C.L., Nikolaou, K., Pfannenberg, C., Gatidis, S.: Value of CT iterative metal artifact reduction in PeT/CT—clinical evaluation in 100 patients. Br. J. Radiol. 92, 20180756 (2019)
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8. Zhang, Y., Yan, H., Jia, X., Yang, J., Jiang, S.B., Mou, X.: A hybrid metal artifact reduction algorithm for x-ray CT. Med. Phys. 40(4), 041910 (2013) 9. Varmedja, D., Karanovic, M., Sladojevic, S., Arsenovic, M., Anderla, A.: Credit card fraud detection-machine learning. In: 18th International Symposium INFOTEH-JAHORINA (2019) 10. Arsenovi´c, M., Sladojevi´c, S., Anderla, A., Stefanovi´c, D.: Deep learning driven plates recognition system. In: 17th International Scientific Conference Industrial Systems (2017) 11. Ghani, M.U., Karl, W.C.: Fast enhanced CT metal artifact reduction using data domain deep learning. IEEE Trans. Comput. Imaging 6, 181–193 (2019) 12. Hegazy, M.A.A., Cho, M.H., Cho, M.H., Lee, S.Y.: U-net based metal segmentation on projection domain for metal artifact reduction in dental CT. Biomed. Eng. Lett. 9(3), 375–385 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13534-019-00110-2 13. Zhang, Y., Yu, H.: Convolutional neural network based metal artifact reduction in x-ray computed tomography. IEEE Trans. Med. Imaging 37(6), 1370–1381 (2018) 14. Trbali´c-Šerifovi´c, A., Trbali´c, A., Demirovi´c, D., Skeji´c, E., Gleich, D.: CT Metal Artefacts Reduction Using Convolutional Neural Networks, International Convention on Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics (MIPRO), pp. 251–255 (2019) 15. Anderla, A., Sladojevic, S., Delso, G., Culibrk, D., Mirkovic, M., Stefanovic, D.: Suppression of metal artefacts in CT using virtual sinograms and corresponding MR images. Curr. Sci. 112(7), 1505–1511 (2017) 16. Kumar, A., Tiwari, A.: A comparative study of otsu thresholding and k means algorithm of image segmentation. Int. J. Eng. Tech. Res. (IJETR) 9, 2454–4698 (2019)
Improving the Energy Efficiency of Pneumatic Control Systems by Using Remotely-Controlled Pressure Regulator Vule Relji´c1(B)
, Petar Kneževi´c2 , Dragan Šešlija1
, and Slobodan Dudi´c1
1 Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovi´ca 6,
21000 Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected] 2 Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci. 32, 20133 Milan, Italy
Abstract. One way to save energy in pneumatic control systems is the decreasing of operating pressure. Accordingly, it is necessary to monitor the working process continuously and, in line with the current requirement, to adjust the operating pressure to provide that the actuator works with optimum, not the maximum possible, operating pressure at all times. Fulfilling these requirements is possible with the use of special, “smart” components, which can communicate with the control system during the operation. In this paper is shown the first phase in the development and implementation of a new, “smart” component – a remotely-controlled pressure regulator, which is used for the remote change of operating pressure in pneumatic control systems, during the working process. This directly improve the energy efficiency of the system because the compressed air consumption is reduced. Keywords: Remote change of operating pressure · Force control · Pneumatic control systems · Energy efficiency
1 Introduction Pneumatic components are usually designed for a maximum operating pressure between 8 bar and 10 bar. The maximum operating pressure is not always optimal, so, in industrial practice, the most common operating pressure is equal to 6 bar. In some production systems, for individual operations, even pressure of 6 bar is too much. Accordingly, the optimal operating pressure is the pressure at which the actuator can accomplish the set tasks (force control), with the minimal compressed air consumption (the optimality criteria is the energy efficiency). With decreasing of operating pressure, it is possible to save energy in pneumatic control systems by reducing the compressed air consumption [1–3]. One of the most usual way for pressure reduction in pneumatic control systems is using pressure regulator in parallel with non-return valve in the supply line for the no load stroke of the actuator. The example of pneumatic control scheme using this method is shown in Fig. 1. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 135–142, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_18
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Fig. 1. The pneumatic control scheme with pressure regulator and non-return valve in parallel.
Also, the pressure regulator can be used in multi-actuator pneumatic control system, in the case when the maximum operating pressure (maximum actuator force) for individual actuator or group of actuators should not be exceeded in order to protect the workpieces, for example, from facture. Using of this method also has direct effect on the reducing of compressed air consumption and, thus, directly improve the energy efficiency of the system. Better results could be obtained in flexible manufacturing systems, if the working process is constantly monitored, and, in line with the current requirement, the operating pressure is constantly adjusted, even from the remote location, to provide that the actuator works with optimum (for example, in case where is need to lift the lighter workpiece than the previously one, the operating pressure can be reduce), not the maximum possible, operating pressure at all times. Fulfilling these requirements is possible with the use of special, “smart” components [4], which can communicate with the control system during the working process, which is in line with the Industry 4.0 approach [5]. Thus, some pneumatic equipment manufacturers (Festo, SMC, etc.) already have developed electrically operated pressure regulators [6, 7] to allow the change of value of the operating pressure, during the working process, without direct physical contact with the component. In this paper is shown the first phase in the development and implementation of a new, “smart” component – a remotely-controlled pressure regulator, which is used for the remote change of operating pressure in pneumatic control systems, during the working process. Compared to the commercially available, electrically controlled pressure regulators, this pressure regulator is cheaper and more suitable for simpler systems, even for systems with only one actuator and systems with low compressed air flow. The paper is organized in a following way: Sect. 2 shows the experimental setup for the component development, as well as the mechanical construction of the component.
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In Sect. 3 is presented a test application for remote control of a component as well as the obtained results. Finally, in Sect. 4, the most important conclusions are drawn and directions for further research are presented.
2 Remotely-Controlled Pressure Regulator During the development of the remotely-controlled pressure regulator, a standard pressure regulator valve with gauge, in this case, order no. 539756, from Festo Learning system for Pneumatics, was used. It was integrated into the experimental setup shown in Fig. 2. Via a purposefully developed coupling (Fig. 2, position 2), a stepper motor (Fig. 2, position 1) was connected to pressure regulator valve (Fig. 2, position 3). The Arduino UNO microcontroller development environment (Fig. 2, position 4) and the appropriate stepper driver were used to control the operation of the stepper motor, and consequently, pressure regulator.
Fig. 2. Experimental setup for determination of pressure values.
It has been experimentally determined how this pressure regulator operates: • At the beginning of measurement, the outlet pressure on pressure regulator is set to 0 bar. • The shaft of the stepper motor was periodically rotated for a precisely defined number of steps, what led to an increase in outlet pressure. • The current number of motor steps was recorded only for defined values of outlet pressure between 0 bar and 6 bar (including these values), in steps of 0.25 bar. • The procedure was repeated until the outlet pressure reach the value of 6 bar.
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In the next step, based on the obtained results, a graph, that show the dependence of the outlet pressure from number of motor steps, was drawn. By using polyfit function in MATLAB, is defined the inverse polynomial function that describe the dependence of the number of motor steps from the outlet pressure on pressure regulator (which is the value specified by the user). The obtained function is expressed by formula 1: y = 0.5096x7 − 10.9791x6 + 93.0751x5 −387.9048x4 + 790.5952x3 −594.9242x2 + 594.9242x + 4620.2849
(1)
wherein y is the number of steps of stepper motor, and x is the value of outlet pressure. To make it easier to understand, the previously explained procedure is shown in Fig. 3.
Fig. 3. The procedure of transformation of a polynomial function obtained by the measured values of outlet pressure in inverse polynomial function.
The physical realization of the prototype of the remotely-controlled pressure regulator is shown in Fig. 4. The remotely-controlled pressure regulator consists of three main components: • a standard pressure regulator valve with gauge, in this case, order no. 539756 [8], from Festo Learning system for Pneumatics (Fig. 4, left, position 1), • an appropriate coupling (Fig. 4, left, position 2), and • a stepper motor, NEMA 14 (Fig. 4, left, position 3). The Arduino UNO microcontroller development environment (Fig. 4, left, position 4) and the appropriate stepper driver (Fig. 4, left, position 5) were used to control the operation of the stepper motor. All the above mentioned elements are integrated in the main housing (Fig. 4, left, position 6), which was made on 3D printer. Also, all necessary mounts were made on 3D printer. Several holes were made on the housing: • for the power ports (Fig. 4, right, position 1), • for the Arduino UNO USB port, above the power ports (Fig. 4, right, position 2), and • for the ports of pressure regulator valve (inlet pressure – Fig. 4, left, position 7, and outlet pressure – Fig. 4, left, position 8).
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The right side of the housing is partially provided in a grid, due to cooling. On the cover of housing (Fig. 4, right, position 3) is made a hole for the gauge (Fig. 4, right, position 4), so that the user can visually read the pressure value and/or track the changes of the pressure values in the system.
Fig. 4. The prototype of remotely-controlled pressure regulator, without cover (left), and with cover (right).
2.1 The Proposed Symbol The development of new component requires the development of new symbol. Accordingly, for the remotely-controlled pressure regulator is proposed a new symbol, which is shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 5. The proposed symbol for remotely-controlled pressure regulator.
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3 The Software Solution For the purpose of testing of a developed prototype of remotely-controlled pressure regulator, in Java programming language is developed an application called “Remotelycontrolled pressure regulator.exe” (Fig. 6). A computer, on which is installed the above mentioned user application, and the control part of remotely-controlled pressure regulator (in this case, it is the Arduino UNO microcontroller development environment) are connected by using a standard serial RS 232 communication protocol. In the first step is necessary to enter the name of the communication port, for example “COM 1”, in the field “Select communication port” (Fig. 6, position 1). The baud rate is predefined. The establishing of a connection is starting by clicking on the button named “Connect” (Fig. 6, position 2). If this procedure is successfully performed, in the field named “STATUS” will be printed a text: “The device is successfully connected.” Otherwise, it will be printed a text: “Connection failed. Please try again.”
Fig. 6. User application.
After successfully connecting to the remotely-controlled pressure regulator, the user enters the desired value of outlet pressure in bar (Fig. 6, position 3), which must be in the limits from 0 bar to 6 bar. In the next step, by clicking on the button named “Confirm” (Fig. 6, position 4), the appropriate parameters are being sent to the main control device. According to a predetermined algorithm, in accordance with the formula 1, the microcontroller adjusts the position of the stepper motor, and thus adjusts the outlet pressure value on remotely-controlled pressure regulator. If the desired value of outlet pressure is outside of the permitted limits, after clicking on the button named “Confirm”, in the field named “STATUS” will be printed a text: “The defined pressure is not within the permitted limits. Please, enter the new value.” 3.1 Testing and Results The accuracy and repeatability of the developed component were determined experimentally. By using pressure sensor, type MBS 3000, 060G1102, from Danfoss, the achieved values for the outlet pressure were measured. The obtained results are shown in Table 1. Roman numerals from I to V indicate the ordinal number of the test. By analyzing
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the results is concluded that the maximum absolute error, which is calculated as the difference between the achieved and desired value, is −0.24 bar, at a desired operating pressure of 5.6 bar. Considering that this is a non-feedback control system, the obtained results can be rated as good. The error that occurs is due to several causes: • creating a polynomial transfer function (formula 1) based on a smaller set values obtained by experimental testing, • accuracy of positioning of the stepper motor, and • errors of the measurement.
Table 1. The results of measuring the achieved value of the outlet pressure on the newly developed remotely-controlled pressure regulator. The desired value of outlet pressure (bar)
The achieved value of outlet pressure (bar) I
II
III
IV
V
1.7
1.71
1.76
1.71
1.66
1.68
2.4
2.36
2.41
2.32
2.33
2.34
3.5
3.43
3.47
3.41
3.42
3.4
4.3
4.18
4.24
4.2
4.2
4.14
5.6
5.41
5.47
5.41
5.43
5.36
4 Conclusion In this paper is shown the first phase in the development and implementation of a remotely-controlled pressure regulator, which is used for the force control in the pneumatic control systems, during the working process. The application of this component in pneumatic control systems is in line with the Industry 4.0 approach. Namely, using of this valve has direct effect on the reducing of compressed air consumption and, thus, directly improve the energy efficiency of the system, because it allows the optimum actuator force at all times. By using this pressure regulator, the operating pressure can be changed during the working process at any time, in accordance with the current requirement. There are several ways to improve the developed prototype of a remotely-controlled pressure regulator, before developing the final product. For example, it is possible to integrate an internal DC power supply. In addition, it is possible to implement a new way of accessing the main control device, the Arduino UNO microcontroller development environment, via Wi-Fi communication. In that way, it is possible to remove the server computer and to avoid the use of wire conductors. Additionally, there is the possibility of changing the stepper motor driver or the main control device (for example, with Arduino NANO microcontroller development environment), which would reduce the required space and thus the overall dimensions of the device, etc.
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Although the obtained results were rated as good, they can be better. In order to eliminate the error of achieving the desired value of outlet pressure, it is possible to create a new transfer function (the function that describe the dependence of the number of motor steps from the outlet pressure on pressure regulator) using linear approximation. Also, it is possible to implement a feedback control.
References 1. Šešlija, D., Dudi´c, S., Milenkovi´c, I.: Cost effectiveness analysis of pressure regulation method on pneumatic cylinder circuit. Int. Energy J. 17(2), 89–98 (2017) 2. Dvorák, L., Fojtášek, K.: Pressure regulators as valves for saving compressed air and their influence on system dynamics. In: EPJ Web of Conferences 92 (EFM14 – Experimental Fluid Mechanics 2014), 02015. p1-02015.p4 (2015) 3. Šešlija, D., Ignjatovi´c, I., Dudi´c, S.: Increasing the energy efficiency in compressed air systems. In: Energy Efficiency the Innovative Ways for Smart Energy, the Future Towards Modern Utilities, pp. 151–174 (2012) 4. De Carolis, E.: Using Pneumatics for IIoT, Machine Design, 12 September 2019. https://www. machinedesign.com/automation-iiot/article/21838131/using-pneumatics-for-iiot. Accessed 4 May 2020 5. VDI nacrhichten, Industrie 4.0. https://www.vdi-nachrichten.com/Technik-Gesellschaft/Indust rie-40-Mit-Internet-Dinge-Weg-4-industriellen-Revolution. Accessed 12 May 2020 6. Festo Electrical Pressure Regulators MS6N-LRE. https://www.festo.com/media/pim/713/D15 000100122713.PDF. Accessed 16 May 2020 7. SMC Electro-Pneumatic Regulator ITV 2000/3000. https://www.smc.eu/sr-rs/products/itv 2000-3000-electro-pneumatic-regulator~134575~cfg. Accessed 18 May 2020 8. Festo pressure regulator with pressure gauge. https://www.festo-didactic.com/ov3/media/cus tomers/1100/539756_en_druckregelventil_lr.pdf. Accessed 21 May 2020
Optimization of the Number of Active Servers and Break Schedule: A Case Study ˇ Darko Capko , Slavica Medi´c(B)
, Nedeljko Stojakovi´c , and Tatjana Grbi´c
Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovi´ca 6, Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. A queuing system with a single queue and a changeable number of service points is considered. The optimal break schedule for a different number of service points, as well as the optimal number of service points, are proposed. The main goal of this paper is optimizing the average waiting time, optimizing the number of service points and scheduling the break time periods. For the considered system, some basic assumptions from the classical theory of mass service are not satisfied. The complexity of the observed system is far beyond the one which is usually considered. Some standard methods used in the mass service theory (such as N-policy, T-policy, D-policy, etc.) are failing, as well as the assumptions related to the input data. Thus, simulation–based approach has to be considered. The data collected during the observation of a single postal unit are statistically analyzed and used to define parameters used in the simulation. Keywords: Simulation optimization · Stochastic optimization · Queuing · Scheduling
1 Introduction The aim for this research is to optimize the number of active servers and break schedule, in such a way that the utilization of servers is maximized, with acceptable waiting time. The observed queuing system in this investigation has a single line and a changeable number of service points. Simulation modeling of a multi-server queue with Markov arrivals and priority services is considered in the paper [1]. In this queue service, there are two types of customers, customers with and without priority. In this model, service can be exponential or non-exponential. When the service has exponential distribution, this model is studied analytically, and for non-exponential service, a simulation model was used. In the paper [2], authors developed the traffic model for multilane-multiple intersections based on the M/M/1 single server queuing system. A real case study was conducted on streets in Kuala Lumpur, and the results of the proposed model were compared with the real data. The histogram of the results was compared with the theoretical distribution, and the tests of the goodness of fit showed that the number of vehicles and the interarrival time had Poisson and exponential distribution, respectively. Also, two simulations © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 143–150, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_19
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with different input parameters were conducted. The results showed good correlation between the proposed model and real data. Another case study was conducted in the titanium dioxide refinery in Australia. Based on the collected data, statistical techniques were used to find best fitting distributions which approximate data. Using the widely spread software for simulation, the goal was to test different presumptions of the queuing systems which will lead to the improvement of productivity. Results are presented in [3]. In the paper [4], a simulation study conducted at a large airport in Western Europe, was presented. The purpose of the study was to examine the concepts of virtual queuing at the airport security line and its effect to the passengers’ average waiting time as well as the costs of security. Optimal employee scheduling for the mail delivery is the focus of the paper [5] which analyzes a linear programming model for scheduling personnel in United States postal distribution stations. Staff scheduling for mail processing and distribution centers was also studied in [6], where the model was formulated as a linear integer programing problem that includes lunch breaks for each employee. In [7] and [8], the objective function for a Single-Server Queue that minimizes the mean waiting time, assuming a cost on server speed, is defined. In [9], the total cost is calculated as the combination of two parameters: the clerks’ waiting time and the customers’ waiting time. In [10], break allocation is proposed after the optimal shift scheduling and the break windows for every shift are defined. The optimal shift scheduling with multiple break windows is studied in [11, 12] where the shift is specified by type, length, shift start time, and the number and length of breaks. The solution is obtained by integer programming and heuristics. In some papers, specified vacation policies are analyzed: group vacations (see [13–15]), temporary vacation (work on a secondary task when the queue is empty) (see [13]), or working with a lower rate (see [16, 17]).
2 Problem Description The main aim of this research is optimization of the number of active servers and break schedule for the financial service in a postal unit in Serbia. The number of service point is changeable and appears to be independent of the number of clients in the queue because of the priority demands handled away from the service points. In the observed postal unit, the system consists of a single queue and a changeable number of service points (1, 2 or 3). The clients are processed according to FIFO principle. Every clerk can have a break period for 30 min during working hours and the break can start at 9:30, 10:00, 10:30 or 11:00. When an employee is on a break, the service point is idle. The main goal is to achieve maximal utilization of the minimal number of service points, with acceptable waiting time. From the point of view of maximizing server utilization, the best solution is a single service point. The paper shows that, in the case of a single service point, the average waiting time would be greater than 25 min, which is unacceptable from the client’s point of view.
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The data used in this paper are obtained by recording the clients’ arrival time, their waiting time (in seconds), the service duration (in seconds), the number of active servers and the number of clients. The working hours with clients were from 8 AM to 7 PM from Monday till Friday, and from 8 AM to 1 PM on Saturdays. The recording was completed in two weeks. The observed working hours were from 8 AM to 1 PM. Based on the same data set, in the paper [18], the system of differential equations of queue size is obtained. The statistical analyses are obtained using the distribution fitting software EasyFit and software package SPSS. 2.1 Statistical Analysis of the Recorded Data During the observed period, the service was provided to 3885 clients. Descriptive statistics for the number of served clients, the waiting time, the inter-arrival time and the service time are provided in Table 1. Table 1. Descriptive statistics for the number of clients, the inter-arrival time (in seconds) and the service time. Mean
Median
Min
Max
Number of clients
323.75
321
209
489
Waiting time
364.16
257
0
1936
54.0
36
0
691
3826.597
454.03
358
6
2015
150306.614
Inter-arrival time Service time
Variance 7090.023 137202.46
It should be noted that is that the variance of the service time is 150306.614, i.e. the standard deviation is approximately 6.5 min and the service time can vary from 6 s to approximately 33 min. The number of clients takes the values from 209 to 489. Given the large differences in the number of customers, it is obvious that there exists a need for the changeable number of service units in time. Spearman’s correlation coefficient between the queue length and the number of active servers is significant at the 0.01 level (ρ = 0.438∗∗ ). Similarly, Spearman’s correlation coefficient between the waiting time and the number of active servers is significant at the 0.01 level (ρ = 0.33∗∗ ). Based on those results, it is obvious that the correlation between the queue length, and the number of active servers and the correlation between the waiting time and the number of active servers are positive and weak. The relationship between the number of active servers and the queue length and the relationship between the number of active servers and the waiting time are presented on the scatterplot in Fig. 1.
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Fig. 1. Queue length and the number of active servers, and the waiting time and the number of active servers.
Based on statistical analysis of inter-arrival time performed in [18], it is shown that 7 of 12 time periods are compatible with the exponential distribution (with different parameters). Since it is less than 60% of the sample, each of the considered 12 time periods was divided into 10 sub-periods 30 min long. In this case, 94% of the sample is compatible with the exponential distribution (with different parameters). The service time for all obtained 120 sub-periods was log-normally distributed, with different parameters. Because of the complexity of the observed system (the service time for 120 subperiods is estimated with log-normal distributions with different parameters and the inter-arrival time for 112 sub-periods is estimated with exponential distributions with different parameters) the simulation approach for estimating the number of active servers and break schedule is applied in this research.
3 Simulation In order to analyze the system better, the PostSIM simulation software is developed (in C# programming language) to simulate a queue system with a configurable number of service points and break periods. The goal of the development of the simulation model and the use of simulation results is to optimize the choice of a number of service points in the considered postal unit. 3.1 The Optimization Criteria The utilization factors δk , k ∈ {1, 2, 3} of service points (expressed in percents) are calculated as ⎧ ⎨ 0, δˆk ∈ [δmin , δmax ] (1) δk = δˆk − δmax , δˆk > δmax , ⎩ δmin − δˆk , δˆk < δmin
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where boundary values of service point utilization δmin and δmax are defined by the system management, and δˆk is the expected value of the utilization of the service point k, k ∈ {1, 2, 3}. The utilization factors of service points depend on the break schedule. All clerks have to use a break, which lasts for 30 min, in the period from 9:30 AM until 11:30 AM with the constraint that, at the specific time period, at least one service point has to be active. Consequently, four possible break time ranges were considered, as shown in Table 2. Table 2. Break period modes. Mode
1
2
3
4
Break period
9:30–10:00
10:00–10:30
10:30–11:00
11:00–11:30
Configuration Px , x ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4} represents the system with one service point with the break mode x. Configuration Pxy represents the system with two service points, where indexes x, y ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4}, x = y represent break period modes for the first and for the second service point, respectively. Similarly, configuration Pxyz , where x, y ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4}, and ¬(x = y = z), represents the system with three service points with a particular break mode combination. For Px let us consider the function w + T δ1 , 60
(2)
2 T w + δi , 60 2
(3)
F1,x = for Pxy let us consider the function F2,xy =
I =1
and for Pxyz let us consider the function F3,xyz =
3 T w + δi , 60 3
(4)
I =1
w where the maximum queue length is limited, 60 is the average waiting time in minutes and T is the total simulation time. Hence, the optimization problem can be represented as
F = min{F1 , F2 , F3 }, where F1 = min F1,x , F2 = min F2,xy and F3 = min F3,xyz . x
x
x
(5)
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3.2 Simulation Model The input data for the simulation model is the number of service points n, n ∈ {1, 2, 3} and two vectors: inter-arrival time R = (r1 , r2 , . . . , rc ) and service time S = (s1 , s2 , . . . , sc ), where c is the total number of clients. After each replication, some outputs are analyzed in order to realize the optimal configuration. Analyzed outputs are service point utilization , average waiting time w and maximum queue length lQ . In case of a system with one service point = (δ1 ) if there are two active service points in the system = (δ1 , δ2 ) and for three active service points = (δ1 , δ2 , δ3 ). The maximum allowed length of the queue for the simulation is 30, although this paper considers an infinite queue. Boundary values of utilization factors of service points are δmin = 0.5 and δmax = 0.75. The system is shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2. Postal unit simulation diagram.
3.3 Experimental Results Experiments were performed in two phases. 1. Optimization of break scheduling. 2. Optimization of the number of service points. In the case of a system with one service point, the simulation showed that the service point utilization is 91.2375%, lQ is approximately 75 clients and the average waiting time is 26.8578 min. Since the service point utilization exceeds 75% and the queue length is greater than maximum allowed queue length, this system configuration is rejected. The results obtained for two service points are shown in Table 3. The optimal break mode for the system with two service points is P14 when the first clerk uses the break from 9:30 AM until 10:00 AM and the second clerk uses the break from 11:00 AM until 11:30 AM, i.e. F2 = F2,14 . The results are similar for 3 service points. The optimal break mode for the system with three service points is P112 , when the first clerk uses the break from 9:30 AM until 10:00 AM, the second clerk uses the break from 9:30 AM until 10:00 AM and the third clerk uses the break from 10:00 AM until 10:30 AM, i.e. F3 = F3,112 . Since the average maximum queue length in case of one service point is greater than the maximum allowed length of the line, this model is rejected and (5) has the form = min{F2 , F3 } = F2,14 . The conclusion is that the considered postal unit will work optimally with two service points with the system configuration P14 .
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Table 3. Simulation results for the break scheduling for the system with 2 service points. Break mode
δˆ1 [%]
δˆ2 [%]
lQ
w
F2,xy
P12
52.473
50.372
29.983
355.8737
5.931228
P13
52.562
50.739
29.887
319.5195
5.325324
P 14
52.813
51.014
24.816
259.2073
4.320122
P23
51.72
51.399
41.022
518.5312
Rejected
P24
51.695
51.371
33.441
419.1754
Rejected
P34
51.793
51.658
39.286
453.8721
Rejected
4 Conclusion The main goals in this paper were optimizing the average waiting time, optimizing the number of service points and scheduling the break time periods. For the considered system, some basic assumptions from the classical theory of mass service are not satisfied. The complexity of the observed system was far beyond the one which is usually considered. Some standard methods used in the mass service theory (such as N-policy, T-policy, D-policy, etc.) failed, as well as the assumptions related to the input data. Thus, the simulation-based approach had to be considered. The data collected during the observation of a single postal unit were statistically analyzed and used to define parameters which were used in the simulation. Algorithms for finding the optimal number of service points and the optimal break scheduling for a different number of service points. The output parameters, important for the system management, directly affect the employees’ and customers’ satisfaction and can be used by the system management to increase productivity at work. Acknowledgment. The authors are supported by the Department of Fundamental Disciplines, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, through the project “Nauˇcni i pedagoški rad na doktorskim studijama”.
References 1. Qing, H., Chakravarthy, S.R.: Analytical and simulation modeling of a multi-server queue with Markovian arrivals and priority services. Simul. Model. Pract. Theory. 28, 12–26 (2012) 2. Soh, A.C., Khalid, M., Marhaban, M.H., Yusof, R.: Modeling of a multilane-multiple intersection based on queue theory and standard approach techniques. Simul. Model. Pract. Theory 17, 1081–1105 (2009) 3. Strang, K.D.: Importance of verifying queue model assumptions before planning with simulation software. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 218, 493–3504 (2012) 4. De Lange, R., Samoilovich, I., Van Der Rhee, B.: Virtual queuing at airport security lanes. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 225, 153–165 (2013) 5. Malhotra, M.K., Ritzman, L.P., Benton, W.C., Leong, G.K.: A model for scheduling postal distribution employees. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 58(3), 374–385 (1992)
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6. Bard, J.F., Binici, C.: Staff scheduling at the United States postal service. Comput. Oper. Res. 30(5), 745–771 (2003) 7. Fu, M.C., Glower, F.W., April, J.: Simulation optimization: a review, new developments, and applications. In: Proceedings of Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 13–26. IEEE Computer Society (2005) 8. Fu, M.C.: Simulation optimization. In: Proceedings of 33rd Conference on Winter Simulation, pp. 53–61. IEEE Computer Society (2001) 9. Brigham, G.: On a congestion problem in an aircraft factory. J. Oper. Res. Soc. Am. 3(4), 412–428 (1955) 10. Bechtold, S.E., Jacobs, L.W.: Implicit modeling of flexible break assignments in optimal shift scheduling. Manag. Sci. 36(11), 1339–1351 (1990) 11. Aykin, T.: Optimal shift scheduling with multiple break windows. Manag. Sci. 42(4), 591–602 (1996) 12. Aykin, T.: A comparative evaluation of modeling approaches to the labor shift scheduling problem. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 125(2), 381–397 (2000) 13. Chao, X., Zhao, Y.Q.: Analysis of multi-server queues with station and server vacations. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 110(2), 392–406 (1998) 14. Xu, X., Zhang, Z.G.: Analysis of multi-server queue with a single vacation (e, d)-policy. Perform. Eval. 63(8), 825–838 (2006) 15. Zhang, Z.G., Tian, N.: Analysis on queuing systems with synchronous vacations of partial servers. Perform. Eval. 52(4), 269–282 (2003) 16. Servi, L.D., Finn, S.G.: M/M/1 queues with working vacations (M/M/1/WV). Perform. Eval. 50(1), 41–52 (2002) 17. Tian, N., Georgef, Z.: A two threshold vacation policy in multiserver queuing systems. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 168(1), 153–163 (2006) ˇ 18. Medi´c, S., Stojakovi´c, N., Capko, D., Durakovi´c, N., Grbi´c, T.: Mathematical model of queue size in a postal network unit with variable number of server. In: Proceedings of SISY 2019, Subotica, pp. 127–132 (2019)
The Validity of Adopting the Knowledge Management Strategy as a Development Policy of the University of Novi Sad Julija Švonja(B) Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. The paper investigates the validity and necessity for the development of the Knowledge Management Strategy at the University of Novi Sad as a management policy towards the development and the implementation of development trends. The research is based on the needs analysis of all 14 faculties of the University of Novi Sad for knowledge management strategies according to which these educational organizations would be guided. Knowledge management as a development process promotes modern forms of e-learning, and supports strategic planning, decision-making and problem solving. The development of educational technologies has introduced changes in learning models at faculties and universities around the world. The basic elements that are analyzed in this paper considering the Knowledge Management Strategy at the University of Novi Sad are resources - hardware and software, practices and methods, and internal and external factors. The universality of this topic opens up new vistas for every faculty and university which is considering the introduction and adoption of the Knowledge Management Strategy. In addition, the Knowledge Management Strategy at the University of Novi Sad points to the possibilities of strategic alliances that bring a huge potential for acquiring new knowledge as well as international cooperation based on knowledge management. Keywords: Knowledge management strategies · General knowledge management strategies · Generic knowledge management strategies · University of Novi Sad · Strategic alliances · International cooperation
1 Knowledge Management in the Function of the Development of the University of Novi Sad (Hereinafter Referred to as UNS) Knowledge Management (hereinafter referred to as KM) is the ability of harnessing knowledge, involving staff, organization culture, processes and technology. As such a whole, KM has, in recent decades, led to the development of numerous organisations that offer services, mostly IT services and education. Value appraisal of such organisations exceeds the traditional accountancy, so various appraisal models have been introduced in an attempt to measure the immaterial values of the organisations acquired by KM. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 151–158, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_20
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The increased worldwide interest in intangible assets occurred along with the awareness that financial accounting reports do not reflect an organisation in such a way to generate new value. Increasing differences between market and accounting values of organisations based on knowledge have constantly been observed and they have especially been dominant in the fields that base their primary activities in the IT sector. Empirical measurability through attempts to reflect intangible assets in financial reports is constantly developing resulting in registration of a considerable number of methods for measuring intangible tools, although most of them remain unused. Models of measurement systems of intangible assets are constantly developing in search of a widely accepted method of organisational value resulting from KM. “If you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it. The organisation’s measurement system strongly affects the behaviour of people both inside and outside the organisation” [1]. If companies are to survive and prosper in information age competition, they must use measurement and management systems. Intangible assets like knowledge combined with technological development are crucial for the level of productivity, and thus for generating development strategies. If an organisation is considered to be a set of activities, it is at the same time a set of technologies involved in almost every organisation activity, and, due to the reversible influence of technological change, it affects every activity. This implies that technological changes affect the organisational development and organisational culture. The permeation of Information Systems Technology in the value chain of each activity leads to creating value, which simultaneously generates, but also uses, information. In order to form the development strategy base based on knowledge, it is necessary to provide answers to three strategic questions – Where are we? Where do we want to be? How do we get there? The addition to the KM Strategy is the information and communication strategy, predominantly referring to IT offer and its application in development, which, along with internationalisation and other strategies that are brought to UNS, represent the core strategy set which is at the same time the support to strategic planning, decision making and problem solving. Bearing in mind the fact that the results of KM Strategy application cannot be expressed by quantitative indicators either, they are expressed in the category of intangible tools. Consequently, it is impossible to express by quantitative indicators the rate of return of investment (ROI) as an indicator of success of KM Strategy application at UNS. Of course, the necessity and validity of KM Strategy implementation at UNS is simultaneously investigated because, apart from adequate hardware and software, successful KM requires effective management of processes and people as well as an applicative KM Strategy. The jurisdiction to create the KM Strategy, apart from authorised governmental institutions at UNS, belongs to the UNS Council and the Strategic Development Committee at UNS which are to provide clear guidelines to formulate the KM Strategy at UNS. In order to implement the KM Strategy, it is of utmost importance to employ a knowledge worker to manage all the project activities in order to establish, develop and implement the KM concept. The success of KM programme at UNS is predominantly determined by the above-mentioned institutional bodies and their endorsement of the proposal for drafting an adopting the KM Strategy. They are to coordinate it with other strategies and acts, draw up the budget, name the knowledge manager and participate in the process itself. During the Strategy introduction into a learning organisation, that is into UNS, it is important to identify new
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functions related to the knowledge concept which leads to the institutionalisation of new roles among which the primary are Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) who is in charge of the following activities: determination of strategic priorities in KM, knowledge base forming and monitoring; cooperation with organisational managers in order to establish organisational learning environment; launch of intellectual capital management process; control by obtaining feedback [2] and Chief Learning Officer (CLO) manages the team that executes, in other words, implements and monitors organisational learning [3]. In order to carry out their tasks, knowledge managers require clear descriptions of their work activities determined by the authority system which in its counselling and monitoring capacity participates in designing and implementation of a KM model. The KM Strategy contributes to the modernisation of teaching processes and cultural change at UNS, as well as generating new values and reduction of expenses. Resources analysed in order to reach the conclusion on the necessity of drawing up the KM Strategy at UNS include hardware and software, practices and methods, and internal and external factors researched through the following research chapters: organisational culture, organisational processes, management, leadership and technology. Organisational structure adjustment process requires certain preparation phases that will lead the organisation into upcoming changes in order to overcome possible obstructions caused by existing formal and informal structures at UNS. The ‘EU 2020’ strategy programme enlists the same factors that reflect the perspective of the UNS development [4] among its key initiating development factors: 1. Generating value from growth based on knowledge, which implies product and process innovation development, as well as the use of education, research and digital economy potential; 2. Enabling staff by acquiring new skills, support of creativity and innovation, development of entrepreneurship and flexibility to job change; Development as a social category represents a constant process of increasing the ability to satisfy aggregate society needs concerning financial power, standard of living, social well-being, political freedom and social satisfaction. The development of UNS based on KM includes comprehensive planning of organisational change in order to enhance business activities and achieve positive results in its work. The research explored the potential and resources of each Faculty of UNS for the implementation of key methods of KM in e-teaching and other kinds of communication. The development of UNS based on KM according to the research is based on its organisational culture, human resources and leadership of individuals within the organisation in the field of knowledge management. Knowledge Management at UNS requires voluntary participation of teaching, administrative and technical staff in order to obtain benefit for higher education institutions. The development of UNS based on KM is related to skills and training of all the employees, relationship network and IT infrastructure. By analysing the development potential of UNS based on KM and by designing applicable strategies, it has been concluded that it is possible to steer the development of higher education, that is UNS, in that way. Strategic KM at UNS is one of the necessary preconditions to enhance the quality of work, growth and development. Quality long-term strategic positioning of UNS is impossible to achieve if KM based development is excluded.
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Apart from intraorganisational KM, for a bigger picture of development it is necessary to include the reversible cooperation between the UNS and economy, research, protection of intellectual assets and private scientific institutions development. Knowledge management contributes to the development of the necessary individual competencies and the successful implementation of R&D strategy, yielding increased organizational performance [5].
2 Knowledge Management Strategies Strategies of KM in the function of UNS development imply planned and designed KM, and it is paramount that they are compatible with other UNS strategies, including its comprehensive long-term development. The KM concept implies designing knowledge based products and services. Apart from a general KM Strategy that refers to primary activities of the learning organisation, there are also generic KM strategies that refer to knowledge modifications and transformations from one form to another. Generic KM strategies are based on the basic and most important division of knowledge into explicit and implicit. Explicit knowledge is the knowledge that can be expressed in formal language and can be exchanged among individuals, whereas implicit knowledge is personal knowledge related to personal experience and it encompasses intangible factors such as personal beliefs, values and perspective [6]. KM Strategy is administratively and formally important a part of strategic planning as it participates more actively in social relations, political development guidelines and in the international system of higher education institutions in order to raise the level of merchantability. Emphasising the need to form the KM Strategy at UNS is based on evident needs for more efficient KM recognised in the research carried out in the period from 13th January to 10th February, 2020 by means of an online survey. The surveyees included representatives of teaching, technical and administrative staff of all fourteen Faculties of UNS. Another indicator for the obvious need for the development Strategy based on KM reflects the need for continued adjustment to changes related to hardware and software development in educational technologies, in other words, the readiness of higher education institutions to adjust to their changes. Universities as institutions that generate and convey knowledge are the key factor of growth and development of both national and global economics. According to research results stated below, one can notice that uncertainty is the predominant attitude when basics of KM concept are in question. Out of 284 surveyees including teaching, administrative and technical staff of UNS, 76% replied that they do not know if the Faculty possesses the official KM programme or strategy. When it comes to the awareness of the KM concept, the remaining surveyees showed a high percentage of uncertainty which is represented with the following results. To the question “I am fully acquainted with the concept of KM”, out of 282 responses, most surveyees replied with ‘I am not sure’ 32.98%, ‘I mostly agree’ 20.92%, ‘I mostly disagree’ 19.15%, ‘I completely disagree’ 18.09%, ‘I completely agree’ 8.87% and weighted average 2.83%. To the question “KM Programme at the Faculty is fully applied and functions well”, out of 278 responses, most surveyees replied with ‘I am not sure’ 62.23%, ‘I completely
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disagree’ 16.19%, with ‘I mostly agree’ 9.71%, ‘I mostly disagree’ 8.99%, ‘I completely agree’ 2.88% and weighted average 2.73%. To the question “The existing KM Programme at the Faculty makes my work much easier”, out of 279 responses, most surveyees replied with ‘I am not sure’ 55.20%, ‘I completely disagree’ 20.43%, ‘I mostly disagree’ 10.75%, ‘I mostly agree’ 8.96%, ‘I completely agree’ 4.66%, and weighed average 2.67%. The results stated above confirm the assumption which led to this research in the first place – that the awareness of KM, in accordance with modern education technologies, is not defined by an appropriate legal act (programme or strategy) and therefore generates uncertainty in highly educated workers which impedes developmental self-sustained processes. Thus, it is concluded that, in order to enhance the KM and education technology based development at UNS, it is necessary to pass an appropriate legal act that would create a mutual vision for the teaching, administrative and technical staff and lead them towards a mutual strategic goal. KM, regarded as a developmental process of the Faculties of UNS, is related to modern distance learning achievements, simultaneously supporting strategic planning, decision making and problem solving by making the KM model applicable for technical and administrative staff. 2.1 General Knowledge Management Strategies Day and Wendler from McKinsey & Company, an American management consulting firm identified five fundamental KM strategies [5]. Strategy of development and best practice transfer within the concept of KM implies that after identifying the best practice in an organisation, it should be dispersed via the dispersed web of locations. Strategy of creating new industries from the existing knowledge is related to the recognition of organisational knowledge that can be used in a new way which, until then, has not been used in the organisation. Strategy of shaping corporate strategy for knowledge includes a re-evaluation of current environment factors, and based on strategic options, form a corporate strategy based on the existing organisational knowledge. This strategy aids the recognition of needs for necessary knowledge, which leads to permanent upgrade of organisation knowledge, in accordance with strategic goals. The newly acquired organisational knowledge by creating new organisational possibilities may create the need to reformulate the corporate strategy. Strategy of generation and commercialisation of innovations based on the increased number of technological innovations in the function of KM at UNS. Education technologies are in focus for the purpose of this strategy. Strategy of creating standards by releasing own knowledge is widely used in software industry and it is related to publicly available organisational knowledge, which affects the growth of the number of users, providing numerous benefits to such an organisation. While general strategies are more applicable to large organisations, generic strategies are more practical for small organisations.
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2.2 Generic Knowledge Management Strategies Knowledge is transferred by interaction between implicit and explicit knowledge by means of the four generic KM strategies stated below: 1. Socialization is a process of ‘hidden’ knowledge transfer among individuals before it becomes explicit. It is best explained by the model of learning taking place by verbal learning and imitation. Socialization as a process transfers not only knowledge and skills, but also ways of working, norms and values. As a strategy, socialization mostly requires direct contact, although there are knowledge transfer modes by means of two-way audio-visual communication. 2. Externalization is a process of transformation of ‘tacit’ knowledge into explicit. It is about codification of implicit knowledge into some form of permanent media that has a standard physical form. That way, the organisation is protected from losing the accumulated implicit knowledge from the previous period [8]. This strategy yields results in much shorter time and decreases expenditures at the same time. 3. Combination is a process of converting one explicit state into another. Various concepts are combined in order to create new, bigger units of knowledge. This strategy represents the upgrade of the existing explicit knowledge. 4. Internalization is a process in which explicit knowledge is converted into ‘tacit’ knowledge. It is usually about applying knowledge into practice [9]. The stated strategies can be applied individually, however, their combined use in practice is frequent and it yields maximum KM results. Human capital survey encompasses the motivation of employees to adopt the KM concept in their work thus contributing to the development of organisational culture. For the purpose of this research, organisational culture is defined as a system of mutual trust, understanding, norms of behaviour and value which greatly determine behaviour, thinking and actions of employees of an organisation, and KM as a collaborative and integrated approach to knowledge within an organisation where everyone in that organisation is provided with an easy and quick access to all the necessary knowledge and information by means of modern information technologies. Motivation is affected by a variety of mutually conditioned factors: 1. Personal characteristics of an individual (attitudes, needs, interests, aspirations, abilities, personal features, internal motivation, achievement motives); 2. Job characteristics (the job type, degree of self-control, responsibility, autonomy, complexity of work, creativity); 3. Characteristics of a wider work environment and overall climate in the organisation – organisational ambient (management, organisation, communication, interpersonal relationships); 4. Degrees and characteristics of technological and economic growth of the organisation and society as a whole; 5. Socioeconomic relations and system of values, cultures, religion, geographic region [10].
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In order for the organisational culture to completely support and motivate the knowledge worker, he or she should be offered the following opportunities: 1. Personal development – the chance for an individual to fulfil his/her full potential; 2. Operational autonomy – work environment which enables the knowledge workers to fulfil the tasks they were given within the scope of the strategic trend and in accordance with self-evaluation indicators; 3. Task fulfilment – the opportunity to get the job done at the level and according to standards and quality an individual can be proud of; 4. Money – earning an income which rewards the contribution and enables the employees to share the abundance they created together [11]. 2.3 Strategic Alliances and International Cooperation Perspectives of future development based on research – In the long run, in order for the University to make strategic progress, a core strategy set is crucial, where the KM Strategy is compatible with other general university strategies such as Partnership Strategy; Teaching and Learning Strategy; Information and Communication Strategy, Internationalisation Strategy etc. Among the publicly accessible acts, UNS currently possesses the Internationalisation Strategy. International organisations that deal with KM, education technologies and education policies provide with their organisational activities the enhancement of teaching processes in higher education by means of various educational programmes. According to their own decisions, higher education institutions can be members of international non-governmental educational organisations and alliances that keep pace with the development of education technologies, knowledge management and education policies by offering adequate trainings for their use and other forms of education by means of publications, seminars, webinars, collaborative projects and other forms of cooperation.
3 Conclusion Strategic KM connects the teaching activities at UNS and the KM concept into a whole that affects the self-sustainable development, competitiveness, and thus reinforces institutional stability and UNS survival. Apart from the above-stated, the validity and necessity of designing the KM Strategy at UNS in the function of the development is also recognised in the ability to, by means of KM concept, establish stronger connections with the economic and political system and thus achieve efficiency and effectiveness in institutional relations. Apart from the theoretical confirmation and according to the part of survey presented in this paper, a real need for the KM Strategy adoption is identified. By comparing tangible and intangible assets relevant to the KM concept available to the Faculties of UNS, it is concluded that the formulation, adoption and application of the KM Strategy would considerably contribute to the development of UNS. KM and continuous investment into knowledge and technology that supports the KM concept is a way of creating value, that is, generation higher added value to products and generated knowledge and its transfer as created services. Internationalisation of new positions of KM at
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UNS enables efficient KM adoption an implementation of KM Strategy. This research is assuming a universal character as it can be fully or partially adopted in the course of support of the development of higher education institutions based on KM worldwide. In relation to that, it is recommended that the higher education scientific institutions explore the following factors and relations within their organizations in order to obtain a precisely profiled KM strategy: human resources, available potentials and calculations necessary for adoption of new forms of distant learning primarily for the purpose of staff training and adequate IT infrastructure which enables, in terms of hardware and software, modern interactive forms of distance learning. Acknowledgments. This paper is part of research within the scope of the project “Knowledge Management – University of Novi Sad Development Policy in 2020”. The funds for this project were provided by the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education and Scientific Research.
References 1. Kaplan, R.S., Norton, D.P.: Uravnotežena tablica rezultata, Mate, Zagreb, p. 25 (2010) 2. Duffy, D.: The Knowledge Champions, CIO Magazine, November 1998. http://www.cio.com/ archive/enterprise/111598_ic.html 3. Berclay, R.O.: Leading the knowledge enterprise - CIOs, CLOs, CKOs, and beyond, KM Briefs and KM Metazine (2004) 4. European Union. Commission Working Document Consultation on the Future EU 2020 Strategy, p. 4. http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/secretariat_general/eu2020/docs/com_2009_647_en. pdf 5. Trivellas, P., Akrivouli, Z., Tsifora, E., Tsoutsa, P.: The impact of knowledge sharing culture on job satisfaction in accounting firms. The mediating effect of general competencies. In: 6th International Conference the Economies of Balkan and Eastern Europe Countries in the Changed World (EBEEC 2014), Nis, Serbia, 9–10 May 2014 (2014) 6. Murray, P.: Information, knowledge and document management technology, KM Briefs and KM Metazine (2000). http://www.ktic.com/topic6/12_INFKM.HTM 7. Day, J.D., Wendler, J.C.: Best Practice and Beyond: Knowledge Strategies, McKinsey Quarterly, Winter Edition (1998) 8. Nikoli´c, V., Sokolovi´c, D.: Knowledge management, knowledge ecology and human resources development in the function of sustainable development. Andragogical Studies no. 1. Belgrade: Institute for Pedagogy and Andragogy in cooperation with the Society for Adult Education, pp. 23–42 (2007) 9. Nonaka, I., Takeuchi, H.: The Knowledge Spiral. http://www.business.otago.ac.nz/mgmt/ ANZAM2004/CD/Papers/ABSTRACT286%20REVISED%2004-10-2004.htm 10. Damjanovi´c, P., Suša, B., Škunca, D., et al.: Management of human resources. Ethno Style, Belgrade, p. 50 (2012) 11. Tampoe, M.: Motivating knowledge workers: the challenge for the 1990’s. In: Knowledge Management and Organizational Design. Butterworth–Heineman, Boston (1997)
Project Management Challenges in Implementing Agile Methods in Manufacturing SMEs Fajsi Angela(B) , Moraca Slobodan, and Milosavljevic Marko Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. A changing business environment brings unpredictable and uncertain future for companies. While demands and expectations of stakeholders are simultaneously growing, on the other hand, companies need to be agile - to design their processes in the way to respond effectively to current and upcoming changes. Although agile project management has been primarily related to the software development, it can be applied to other processes, such as manufacturing. Manufacturing business processes are ones that are the most complex and require using appropriate methodology, tools and techniques to achieve specific process objectives. Due to a lack of resources, SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) not likely to make use of formalized project management practices, but some of their elements are used in order to achieve a higher efficiency of the production process. The purpose of this paper is to examine to what extent traditional and agile project management methods can improve success of business activities in manufacturing SMEs. Based on the previous researches, authors have a tendency to show a strong relation between using project management practices and improving business performances in SMEs. Keywords: Project management · Agility · SMEs · Business performance
1 Introduction Why is project management important for SMEs? Project management has been developed from the industry with the aim to ensure a higher level of success of business activities. In the first time, it had been used for larger companies effectively, smaller companies had not been suitable to implement formal project management approaches due to their limitations. In the last decade SMEs, especially manufacturing ones, recognize the need for using project management in its less formal structure [1].
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Ghobadian and Gallear (1997) defined main differences between SMEs and larger organizations [2], especially in the term of simpler planning and control in SMEs, a lower degree of standardization and decision making specialization high degree of innovativeness. The overall research question in this paper is to what extent traditional and agile project management methods can improve the success of business activities in manufacturing SMEs? Following this question, the level of using agile project management practices in manufacturing SMEs can be considered as important for helping SMEs to be more effective and to achieve successful results. Author Youssef [3] defined agility not only as a fast response but as an approach that requires structural and infrastructural changes in the company and its internal and external environment. The agile approach is mostly depending on the competence of people and quality of the information. Author Gunasekaran (1999) emphasized term of flexibility as a basis for agility, which can be achieved through the integration of the people, information and technology [4]. Thus, agile project management is recognized as a useful method for continuous improvement and iteration at every stage of the company’s activities. Despite the advantages of the agile approach, many companies still use more traditional strategies of project management or combined these two approaches.
2 Project Management Approach in SMEs Project management as a formalized approach has been used since 60 from last century. Timely, it has been upgraded, extended and improved in many of its elements. The most famous world institution for project management is the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the United States. The PMI guideline defines project management areas and processes that are applicable in each organization regardless its size, type of industry sector, level of technology utilization, etc. [5] However, many authors agreed that formal project management methodologies are not appropriate for smaller companies because of their built-in limitations. All knowledge areas take a significant place in the process of project management implementation, need to be harmonized and spatial and temporal synchronized. For this purpose, many authors have suggested using a project management approach or some of its elements in SMEs to establish a more effective and more flexible organization. [6–9]. SMEs are facing multifarious problems relating to their size and structure, thus the adaptation of project management strategies and methods for SMEs need to be harmonized with those requirements [10]. Using project management approach within SME brings many advantages. According to the research done by authors, Turner and Ledwith respondents highlighted several benefits of implementing Project management, some of them are s following (with the average score in the survey more than 4) [1]:
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Results of projects are more predictable; Better control of projects; Clients are more satisfied at the end of the project; Company is more likely to achieve the triple constraint; The project deliverable performs as required; Responsibility and accountability within the team is clear; Top management is better informed.
The listed benefits include both internal and external factors, and focus is on achieving customer’s requirements. The main challenges for implementing project management in SMEs are directly related to their built-in limitations such as insufficient financial resources, lack of education in the field of project management, bureaucracy, etc. [1].
3 Traditional vs. Agile Project Management Strategies In the literature, it can be found several classifications of project management strategies [12, 13] and for the purpose of this paper; it will be presented five strategies – two traditional and three agile [14]. Authors emphasized the main advantages and challenges for each strategy (summarized in Table 1). Furthermore, with the aim of better understanding these strategies, authors Fernandez, D. J., & Fernandez, J. D. (2008) [14] presented Quadrant with two dimensions – Clarity of goal and clarity of solutions is presented. Taking into account these two dimensions the four strategies can be defined. Linear - traditional strategy where the project solution is not released until the end. Incremental-similar to traditional expects that a partial solution is released after each phase of the project. Iterative- number of repeated phases with feedback after each completed group of phases. Adaptive- similar to an Iterative strategy except that with each iteration’s feedback adjusts the next iteration. Extreme- similar to an Adaptive strategy but the goal of the project must be discovered and clearly defined [14]. Each of the described strategies has its own strengths and challenges when it comes to its implementation within business operations. In Table 1 there are presented the most important strengths for each strategy.
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Table 1. The main strengths of traditional and agile project management strategies [13, 14] Strategy
Main strengths
Linear
L1 All project activities are scheduled; L2 Resource requirements are known for all team members; L3 Team members can be easily moved to another position; L4 Following a defined set of processes; L5 Plan and schedule are not suitable to changes; L6 Competition time can be longer;
Incremental IN1 Business value is produced earlier in the project life cycle; IN2 Change requests can be accommodated between increments and discovered through incremental solutions; IN3 Stronger focus on customer value than the linear strategy; IN4 More customer involvement is required compared to the linear strategy; Iterative
IT1 Customer can review current solution for suggested improvements; IT2 Scope change can be accommodated between iterations; IT3 Adapts to changing business conditions; IT4 The final solution cannot be specified to the customer at the outset of the project;
Adaptive
A1 Does not waste time on non-value-added work; A2 Provides maximum business value within the given time and cost constraints; A3 Cannot identify exactly what will be delivered at the end of the project;
Extreme
E1 Allows for keeping options open as late as possible; E2 Offers an early look at a number of partial solutions; E3 No guarantees that any business value will result from the project
To find how some specific strategies have an impact on SMEs activities and operations and to map which strategy is the most suitable for effective project management approach, authors had analyzed relations between main characteristics of SMEs and project management strategies. Authors [6] defined the main characteristics of SMEs – lack of expertise, limited resources, local management, short-term strategy, lack of methods and procedures, nonfunctional organization. These characteristics are at the same time constraints for doing regular business operations and can have a significant influence on other areas, such as project management. The traditional approach that includes linear and incremental strategies is estimated as a suitable approach for solving SME’s built-in limitations. Implementation of linear strategy means that all activities are scheduled and resources requirements are known for all team members. Thus, high-level planning and detailed scheduling provide detailed insights into project tasks and activities, team members are familiar with those procedures and methods. Adopting the traditional approach is more suitable for systems like SMEs because of their built-in limitations, but they need to be more proactive and act in line with trends
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within the industry. Some significant problems, such as limited resources and shortterm-strategy [6] could be successfully treated or eliminated by adopting some of agile project management strategies or by the combination of traditional and agile strategies.
4 Discussion and Conclusion The literature review showed that both traditional and agile project management approaches are very important to SMEs. Combining the foundations of the traditional approach with modern agile methods, tools and techniques help organizations to adjust organization structure and the culture to achieve the most efficient business processes. Smaller companies are in most cases incompatible with formal business strategies and methodologies due to their limitations. By taking certain adjustments in the existing methods, strategies, tools and models SMEs can become more flexible and more costefficient. In the paper, the author made correlations between project management strategies and the main characteristics of SMEs to suggest which strategy is a best-fit solution for removing or mitigating their built-in limitations. The traditional strategies are more suitable for SMEs but implementing agile project management strategies can help SMEs to find their place in the global business ecosystem that will make them more effective and sustainable for a long time. Creating a flexible environment allows the continuous development of SMEs that are following strict market requirements. Some further research should include results which will give empirical evidence on project management practices in manufacturing SMEs.
References 1. Turner, R., Ledwith, A.: Project management in small to medium-sized enterprises: fitting the practices to the needs of the firm to deliver benefit. J. Small Bus. Manag. 56(3), 475–493 (2018) 2. Ghobadian, A., Gallear, D.: TQM and organisation size. Int. J. Oper. Prod. Manag. 17(2), 121–163 (1997) 3. Yusuf, Y., Sarhadi, M., Gunasekaran, A.: Agile manufacturing: the drivers, concepts and attributes. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 62(1–2), 33–43 (1999) 4. Gunasekaran, A.: Agile manufacturing: a framework for research and development. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 62(1–2), 87–105 (1999) 5. Rose, K.H.: A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)—fifth edition. Proj. Manag. J. 44(3) (2013) 6. Turner, J.R., Ledwith, A., Kelly, J.: Project management in small to medium-sized enterprises. Int. J. Manag. Proj. Bus. 28, 744–755 (2009) 7. Murphy, A., Ledwith, A.: Project management tools and techniques in high-technology SMEs. Manag. Res. News (2007) 8. Kozlowski, R., Matejun, M.: Characteristic features of project management in small and medium-sized enterprises (2016) 9. O’Sheedy, D.G.: A study of agile project management methods used for IT implementation projects in small and medium-sized enterprises (2012)
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10. Syed Manzur, Q.: Constraints to SMEs: A Rotated Factor Analysis Approach (2008) 11. Andersen, E.S., Grude, K.V., Haug, T.: Goal Directed Project Management: Effective Techniques and Strategies. Kogan Page, London (2009) 12. Grundy, T.: Strategy implementation and project management. Int. J. Project Manag. 16(1), 43–50 (1998) 13. Fernandez, D.J., Fernandez, J.D.: Agile project management—agilism versus traditional approaches. J. Comput. Inf. Syst. 49(2), 10–17 (2008) 14. Wysocki, R.K.: Effective Software Project Management. Wiley, Hoboken (2010)
IoT-Based Delivery System in State of Emergency Srdjan Tegeltija(B)
, Gordana Ostoji´c , Ivana Šenk , Laslo Tarjan , and Stevan Stankovski
Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. States of emergency that occur as a consequence of epidemic and pandemic spread of the disease (influenza, Covid-19) negatively affect all human activities. In states of emergency, various measures can be applied in order to reduce the potential risks to human health and life to a minimum. The most common measures refer to the interdiction on the work of markets, the interdiction on the restriction of movement, the restriction of the number of people who can enter shops and pharmacies at the same time. These measures affect one of the most critical activities, the procurement of food products and medicines. Due to various restrictions, it is difficult or impossible for people to procure food products and medicines, especially for the elderly and the sick ones. On the other hand, this affects both producers and sellers of food products for whom the sale of food products is the main source of finance. In this paper, the conceptual solution of the IoT - based delivery system in state of emergency is presented. The proposed solution enables the connection of food producers, suppliers and customers. Customers are enabled to purchase food products and medicines more easily, while producers are enabled to place food products on the market more easily during emergencies. The proposed solution provides higher security, because contact between people is kept to a minimum and allows monitoring of the establishment of contacts in the event of the spread of infection in order to inform potential patients. Keywords: State of emergency · Delivery · IoT
1 Introduction Under normal circumstances, people perform various activities on a daily basis. They are going to work, going to buy food and other products that allow them to live life normally. States of emergency that can occur as a result of a natural disaster (storms, blizzards, etc.) or as a consequence of the outbreak of an epidemic or pandemic situation, make it difficult or impossible for people to perform activities necessary for the normal life. Recently, we have witnessed the pandemic spread of the disease COVID-19, which has caused a problem in all countries over the world. In order to minimize the risk to human health and lives, most countries have introduced a state of emergency. Measures have been taken to reduce people-to-people contacts in order to minimize the transmission © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 165–169, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_22
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of the infection [1]. The most common measures referred to the ban on the operation of open-air markets and shops, restriction of movement (curfew), restriction of the number of people who can enter an enclosed space at the same time (shops and pharmacies). These measures affected one of the most important activities, the procurement of food products and medications. Due to various restrictions, it is difficult or impossible for people to procure food products and medications, especially for the elderly and the sick ones [2] or in isolation due to potential infection. On the other hand, it affects both producers and sellers of food products and medications for which the sale of food products, medications and medical preparations is the main source of funding [3–5]. Large retail chains and large food producers that have developed online product sales systems and their own food delivery systems have easily adapted to the changes that have occurred with the introduction state of emergencies. Large transportation service systems for transporting people such as Uber and carGO have introduced, in addition to the standard service of transporting people and transport of goods, most often food products that they take from producers, shops and prepared meals in restaurants and deliver them to end users [6–9]. In this way, large market participants have coped and adapted to the changes. The problem is small producers and traders of food products, small family restaurants, pharmacists and independent suppliers who cannot quickly and easily adapt to such changes in a short time. This paper presents the solution of the delivery system in emergency situations based on IoT in the state of emergency. The proposed solution enables the connection of food producers, suppliers and food buyers, as well as other products necessary for people in emergency situations such as medications. This solution makes it easier, on one hand, for customers to buy food products and medications, while it makes it easier, on the other hand, for producers to place food products on the market in state of emergencies. Deliverers within the system represent a link between producers/sellers and customers. The proposed solution provides greater security, since contact between people is minimized and allows monitoring of the establishment of contacts in the event of the spread of infection in order to inform potential patients as well as to detect local foci of infection.
2 IoT-Based Delivery System Solution Internet of Things (IoT) enables networking of field devices and transforms manufacturing and service operations to efficient activities [10, 11]. Some solutions suggested using of 2D barcode in different process [12]. The conceptual design of the delivery system in emergency situations is based on the interconnection of users with implementation of IoT technology. The proposed system solution consists of a server application as well as mobile and PC applications. The scheme of the IoT-based emergency delivery system based on IoT is shown in Fig. 1. The server application is used for user registration as well as for storing system user data. Users of the system represent producers of food products (farmers and restaurants), sellers of food products, deliverers as well as end users or buyers of food products and medications/medical preparations. Mobile application and PC application allow users to access system data and services. The server application enables producers and sellers of food products and medications/medical preparations to offer their products in the form of simple offers or advertisements through the system to end users. If producers and sellers have their own systems for online sales, the
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server application has interfaces that allow downloading order data from these systems to organize delivery. When the end user or customer orders food products or medications/medical preparations, through a server application or through an existing online sales system with a producers and sellers, a delivery request is created to the system.
Fig. 1. The scheme of the IoT-based emergency delivery system based on IoT
The delivery request is forwarded either to all available deliverers or the producers and sellers so they can then forward the delivery request to the deliverers with whom they most often cooperate and with whom they have contract. For each package to be delivered, the deliverers have information about the location from which the package is taken and to which location it needs to be delivered. The end user has an insight into the status of package delivery and the expected delivery time. During the delivery of the package, the movement of the deliverer and the establishment of potential contacts are monitored. In case of confirmation of the infection for one of the users of the system, potential contacts can be tracked and to them can be send alert, since they can be potentially infected users.
3 Experimental System For the purpose of proving concept, experimental system was created. In order to accelerate the implementation of the experimental system, as a basis for the implementation of the delivery system in emergency situations, a system for the delivery of food products by cargo bicycles based on IoT was used [13]. Functionalities of the existing system were used, such as displaying the list of delivery requests, displaying the delivery provider to
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the location of package pick-up as well as to the location of package delivery, and user notifications in case of creating delivery requests and changes in the delivery list. When the end customer orders food or medications/medical preparations, a delivery request is generated in the system that is displayed to all system users like deliverer or the producer/seller and a delivery request is assigned to the preferred deliverer that they trust the most. System users receive a notification that a delivery request has been created. The deliverer have the possibility of insight into the delivery request sheet (Fig. 2a), and by selecting the request for delivery, the data on the locations of pick-up and delivery of the package are displayed, as well as the other information related to these locations (Fig. 2b and Fig. 2c) [13].
Fig. 2. Print screens of the cargo bicycle delivery application
The existing cargo bicycle delivery system has been modified so that the database has been expanded in the server application. In this way it is possible to store information on the movement of deliverers. Delivery information is collected using an extension of a dedicated Android application that implements the continuous sending of GPS (Global Positioning System) delivery positions that are collected using GPS receivers on mobile phones. Based on the processing of the collected data on the movements of the deliverer, potential contacts between people can be monitored. By combining the data on the movement of the supplier with the data on the packages to be delivered (who is the producer/seller, who is the deliverer, who is the buyer) in case of an outbreak can send potential contacts and alert users, by sending notifications or SMS (Short Message Service) or email messages to potentially infected users with instructions and advice on further procedures, in order to minimize the risk to human health and life.
4 Conclusion In this paper, a solution of the delivery system in state of emergency based on IoT is proposed. The developed solution allows small producers, sellers and deliverers to easily adapt to the changes that arise in state of emergency. From the economic aspect, developed system enables users to continue with their business activities during state of emergency, thus leaving protected jobs and worker’s earnings. From security aspect, it is
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possible to monitor potential contacts during the confirmation of the infection of certain users, based on the collected data, and all potentially infected users can be informed which measures they should take in order to minimize the health risk. Further research on this topic will be focused on the selection of optimal algorithms of data processing to monitor potential contacts of infected system users. Special attention will be towards the protection of user data due to legal regulations. Acknowledgement. This research has been supported by the Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education and Scientific Research of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, through the project: “Implementation of IoT tracking system for fresh food produces from Vojvodina”, and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Government of the Republic of Serbia, through the project: “Innovative scientific and artistic research from the FTN activity domain”.
References 1. Ren, X.: Pandemic and lockdown: a territorial approach to COVID-19 in China, Italy and the United States. Eurasian Geogr. Econ. 1–12 (2020) 2. Steinman, M.A., Perry, L., Perissinotto, C.M.: Meeting the care needs of older adults isolated at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Intern. Med. (2020) 3. Galanakis, C.M.: The food systems in the era of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic crisis. Foods 9, 523 (2020) 4. Siche, R.: What is the impact of COVID-19 disease on agriculture? Sci. Agropecu. 11, 3–6 (2020) 5. Richards, T.J., Rickard, B.: COVID-19 impact on fruit and vegetable markets. Can. J. Agric. Econ. Can. d’agroeconomie (2020) 6. carGO Carryout. https://www.gocargo.io/carryout.html. Accessed 05 July 2020 7. Uber Eats. https://www.ubereats.com/. Accessed 05 July 2020 8. Yeo, L.: Which company is winning the food delivery war? https://secondmeasure.com/datapo ints/food-delivery-services-grubhub-uber-eats-doordash-postmates/. Accessed 05 July 2020 9. Swider, M.: Best food delivery service in the US: Uber Eats vs GrubHub vs DoorDash. https://www.techradar.com/best/best-food-delivery-service-in-the-us-uber-eats-vs-gru bhub-vs-doordash. Accessed 05 July 2020 10. Stankovski, S., Ostoji´c, G., Zhang, X., Baranovski, I., Tegeltija, S., Horvat, S.: Mechatronics, identification technology, industry 4.0 and education. In: 2019 18th International Symposium INFOTEH-JAHORINA (INFOTEH), pp. 1–4 (2019) 11. Stankovski, S., Ostoji´c, G., Zhang, X.: Influence of industrial internet of things on mechatronics. J. Mechatron. Autom. Identif. Technol. 1, 1–6 (2016) 12. Tarjan, L., Šenk, I., Kovaˇc, R., Horvat, S., Ostoji´c, G., Stankovski, S.: Automatic identification based on 2D barcodes. Int. J. Ind. Eng. Manag. 2, 151–157 (2011) 13. Tegeltija, S., Ostoji´c, G., Stankovski, S., Kukolj, D., Teji´c, B.: Food delivery using cargo-bikes with IoT. In: Anisic, Z., Lalic, B., Gracanin, D. (eds.) IJCIEOM 2019. LNMIE, pp. 483–491. Springer, Cham (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43616-2_51
Industry 4.0 Enablers: Implementation of Organizational Concepts as a Support for Technological Improvements of Manufacturing Companies Tanja Todorovic , Nenad Medic(B) , Zoran Anisic , Nemanja Tasic , Danijela Ciric , and Bojan Lalic Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. Research related to the Industry 4.0 is mainly oriented towards the use of advanced manufacturing technologies that are considered as enablers of this new manufacturing concept. The importance of organisational aspects in this context is starting to get recognised, but there is a lack of empirical research that supports these claims. This paper aims to go one step backwards and to analyse the relationship between the implementation of organizational concepts and technologies that are vital for manufacturers aiming to introduce Industry 4.0 concept. The analysis is based on the dataset collected from 240 Serbian manufacturing companies in 2018 through the international project European Manufacturing Survey. Using the regression analysis it is revealed that utilization of concepts related to organisation, management, and controlling of production have a positive impact on the implementation of advanced manufacturing technologies in companies. This paper highlights the complementarity between organisational and technological aspects of production and their relevance for manufacturing companies. Furthermore, this paper provides empirical evidence on the use of organisational concepts and advanced manufacturing technologies in manufacturing companies from a transitional country, thus opening a debate for those researchers and practitioners interested in research related to transitional economies. Keywords: Industry 4.0 · Organisational concepts · Advanced manufacturing technologies · Digitalization
1 Introduction Current technological trends and increasing global competition have resulted in the intensification of requirements to more effectively allocate the resources while implementing novel technologies and processes. Based on technological advances and implying the significant alteration of the manufacturing environment, the new manufacturing paradigm labeled Industry 4.0 has gained substantial attention in the academic community [1, 2]. Since the term Industry 4.0 had been introduced, it was observed that its impact goes © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 170–175, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_23
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far beyond manufacturing sector, having various socio-economic effects. In this view, it is reasonable that obtaining an unambiguous definition of Industry 4.0 concept is not an easy task, yet it could be stated that Industry 4.0, also termed the fourth Industrial revolution, is “a set of technologies based on the digitization and interconnection of all production units present within an economic system” [3]. It implies interconnectedness of the whole value chain and data that enables the emergence of smart manufacturing and delivers integration across the whole manufacturing value chain [1, 4]. Among the numerous aspects and implications of this transformational paradigm, technological innovations are viewed as key enablers of the Industry 4.0 manufacturing landscape [5]. Since they are positioned at the core of production transformation and enabling the digitalization of processes, implementation of novel technological concepts has been in the focus of many researches that have highlighted the positive impact of technological improvements on the overall company’s performance [6, 7]. However, many researches point out the significance of organizational aspects attributed to administrative and managerial sector, since the application of adequate organizational concepts could be viewed as the prerequisite for the successful implementation of technological concepts [8–10]. The relationship between organizational and technological factors have been studied from various aspects, as well as their combined contribution to the firm’s performance [11]. There are numerous implications of the complex nature of technological and organizational relationship. Some of the previous researches suggest that the organizational innovations serve as a facilitator for the successful implementation of novel technology [12]. The impact of implementation of organizational aspects could be considered as highly important for sustaining of competitive advantage. As organizational innovation is multifaceted and encompasses novel practices in the domain of firm’s strategy, structure and procedures that are affecting the overall processes and outputs, the question of interdependence of technological and organizational concept should be considered to be as an important issue in the both developed and developing countries. It is expected to experience a certain level of hindrance in the process of advanced technologies adoption, with the tendency for this process to be even more challenging in the emerging economies, who are historically lagging behind in this domain [6]. The main corpus of research regarding the aforementioned topic deals with developed economies that have higher extent of adoption of Industry 4.0 enabling technologies. Some scholars argue that there is a different adoption model of Industry 4.0 concepts depending on the economic environment, i.e. developed or emerging economy [1, 13]. Since many transitional economies are still to implement the majority of Industry 4.0 relevant concepts, it is important to investigate whether the implementation of certain organizational concepts has a positive impact regarding the adoption of advanced technologies in manufacturing landscape of emerging economies.
2 Research Hypothesis Based on the above described findings from different researches that recognize the relevance of association between the organisational and technological aspects of manufacturing companies, the hypothesis considered in this paper are as follows:
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H1: The implementation of organizational concepts related to Organization of production has a positive impact on the use of advanced manufacturing technologies. H2: The implementation of organizational concepts related to Management and controlling production has a positive impact on the use of advanced manufacturing technologies. H3: The implementation of organizational concepts related to Human resource management has a positive impact on the use of advanced manufacturing technologies. For the analysis of proposed hypothesis, we used the model presented in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1. Proposed research model
3 Methods and Data For the purpose of this study we used statistical analysis. More specifically, our analysis on the relationship between the implementation of organizational concepts and the use of digital technologies in Serbian manufacturing companies is based on the results obtained by employing linear regression. The data for the analysis is gathered through a survey that is carried out under the international project European Manufacturing Survey (EMS), coordinated by the Fraunhofer ISI Institute from Germany. EMS is mainly focused on technological and organizational innovation in manufacturing companies, but other aspects of manufacturing processes are also considered [14–16]. The survey is conducted each three years and targets manufacturing companies (NACE Rev 2 codes from 10 to 33) with more than 20 employees. The dataset used for the analysis in this paper is gathered from Serbian manufacturing companies and includes 240 responses from 2018 round of the survey. The dataset includes about 46% small companies having between
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20 to 49 employees, another 43% of companies that have between 50 and 249 employees representing medium-sized companies, and last 11% of the companies having more than 250 employees thus belonging to the group of large companies. Companies were asked about the organizational concepts (i.e. organization of production, management and controlling of production, and human resource management) and technologies (i.e. digital factory) that they currently use. We used this information to determine whether there is any positive impact of the implementation of organizational concepts on the use of digital technologies.
4 Results and Discussion The results aimed to present the relationship between the implementation of organizational concepts and the use of digital technologies in Serbian manufacturing companies are depicted in Table 1. Table 1. Results of the regression model Digital technologies Organization of production
.262**
Management and controlling of production
.210*
Human resource management
.089
R
0.470
R2
0.211
F
22.359
Sig
0.000
Note: ** p < 0.001; * p < 0.01
The results aimed to present the relationship between the implementation of organizational concepts and the use of digital technologies in Serbian manufacturing companies are depicted in Table 1. In regression model that tests hypothesis developed for the purpose of this research, the overall model was significant, adjusted R2 = .211, F = 22.359, p < .001. Two predictors had a significant coefficient – Organization of production (B = .262, p < .001) and Management and controlling of production (B = .210, p < .01), while the third predictor Human resource management did not show any significance in the model. These results are in line with prior research in the field that claim the complementarity between implementation of organizational concepts and technologies in manufacturing [9]. More precisely, our analysis shows that organizational concepts that are directly related to the production processes are positively influencing the use of digital technologies in manufacturing companies. This is not the case with human resource management which tends to support the use of digital technologies in the indirect way [17, 18].
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5 Conclusion The main objective of this paper is to determine the impact of organizational concepts as a support for successful implementation of novel technological concepts in manufacturing companies. The results are based on a sample of 240 Serbian manufacturing companies, the data being obtained through the 2018 European Manufacturing Survey edition with the aim to provide information on the extent of usage and implementation of technological and organisational innovations in manufacturing sector. The results indicate that implementation of organizational concepts related to organization, management and controlling of production has a positive impact on the use of advanced manufacturing technologies, that is in line with the findings of authors that emphasize organizational aspects as key enablers for successful technological innovations within manufacturing companies. These results could be of use for managers and practitioners for their strategic orientation concerning improvements of production processes, especially for those located in emerging economies that are faced with greater challenges on the path to digitalization and more extensive application of Industry 4.0 concepts. We have limited this research to analysis of the manufacturing industry in general. Other relevant determinants for deeper analysis include the size of the company, as well as the specific manufacturing sectors. The future line of research could also include consideration of additional factors pertinent to manufacturing environment of transitional economies.
References 1. Castelo-Branco, I., Cruz-Jesus, F., Oliveira, T.: Assessing industry 4.0 readiness in manufacturing: evidence for the European Union. Comput. Ind. 107, 22–32 (2019) 2. Crnjac, M., Veža, I., Banduka, N.: From concept to the introduction of industry 4.0. Int. J. Ind. Eng. Manag. 8(1), 21–30 (2017) 3. Li, G., Hou, Y., Wu, A.: Fourth Industrial Revolution: technological drivers, impacts and coping methods. Chin. Geogr. Sci. 27(4), 626–637 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769017-0890-x 4. Brettel, M., Friederichsen, N., Keller, M.A., Rosenberg, M.: How virtualization, decentralization and network building change the manufacturing landscape: an industry 4.0 perspective. Int. J. Mech. Aerosp. Ind. Mechatron. Manuf. Eng. 8(1), 37–44 (2014) 5. Kagermann, H., Helbig, J., Hellinger, A., Wahlster, W.: Recommendations for implementing the strategic initiative INDUSTRIE 4.0: securing the future of German manufacturing industry. Final Report of the Industrie 4.0 Working Group (2013). https://www.din.de/blob/76902/ e8cac883f42bf28536e7e81659 6. Dalenogare, L.S., Benitez, G.B., Ayala, N.F., Frank, A.G.: The expected contribution of Industry 4.0 technologies for industrial performance. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 204(July), 383–394 (2018) 7. Koren, R., Palˇciˇc, I.: The impact of technical and organisational innovation concepts on product characteristics. Adv. Prod. Eng. Manag. 10(1), 27–39 (2015) 8. Lalic, B., Anisic, Z., Medic, N., Tasic, N., Marjanovic, U.: The impact of organizational innovation concepts on new products and related services. In: 24th International Conference on Production Research, pp. 110–115 (2017)
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9. Cozzarin, B.P., Kim, W., Koo, B.: Does organizational innovation moderate technical innovation directly or indirectly? Econ. Innov. New Technol. 26(4), 385–403 (2017) 10. Medic, N., Marjanovic, U., Zivlak, N., Anisic, Z., Lalic, B.: Hybrid fuzzy MCDM method for selection of organizational innovations in manufacturing companies. In: 1st Annual International Symposium on Innovative Entrepreneurship, pp.109–116. IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society (2018) 11. Camisón, C., Villar-López, A.: Organizational innovation as an enabler of technological innovation capabilities and firm performance. J. Bus. Res. 67(1), 2891–2902 (2014) 12. Azar, G., Ciabuschi, F.: Organizational innovation, technological innovation, and export performance: the effects of innovation radicalness and extensiveness. Int. Bus. Rev. 26(2), 324–336 (2017) 13. Frank, A.G., Dalenogare, L.S., Ayala, N.F.: Industry 4.0 technologies: implementation patterns in manufacturing companies. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 210(January), 15–26 (2019) 14. Marjanovic, U., Lalic, B., Medic, N., Prester, J., Palcic, I.: Servitization in manufacturing: role of antecedents and firm characteristics. Int. J. Ind. Eng. Manag. 10(2), 133–144 (2020) 15. Lalic, B., Todorovic, T., Medic, N., Bogojevic, B., Ciric, D., Marjanovic, U.: The impact of inter-organizational cooperation on R&D expenditure of manufacturing companies. Proc. Manuf. 39, 1401–1406 (2019) 16. Lalic, B., Marjanovic, U., Rakic, S., Pavlovic, M., Todorovic, T., Medic, N.: Big data analysis as a digital service: evidence form manufacturing firms. In: Wang, L., Majstorovic, V.D., Mourtzis, D., Carpanzano, E., Moroni, G., Galantucci, L.M. (eds.) Proceedings of 5th International Conference on the Industry 4.0 Model for Advanced Manufacturing. LNME, pp. 263–269. Springer, Cham (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46212-3_19 17. Mijatovi´c, M.D., Uzelac, O., Stoiljkovi´c, A.: Effects of human resources management on the manufacturing firm performance: sustainable development approach. Int. J. Ind. Eng. Manag. 11(3), 205–212 (2020) 18. Korobaniˇcová, I., Kováˇcová, N.: Human capital investment: practices and measurement in Slovak enterprises. Int. J. Ind. Eng. Manag. 9(3), 139–146 (2018)
Maintenance- and Strategic Physical Asset Management: Morphologies of Two Connate Concepts Oliver Schmiedbauer(B) , Hans Thomas Maier , Florian Kaiser , and Hubert Biedermann Chair of Economic- and Business Management, Department Economic and Business Management, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Peter-Tunner-Straße 25/III, 8700 Leoben, Austria [email protected]
Abstract. This paper aims to examine the relationships and delimitations between maintenance management (MM) and physical asset management (AM) concepts. There are several standards, e.g., ISO 5000*, DIN 31015, and DIN EN 13306, which define the basic terms connected to maintenance and asset management. However, they lack a clear differentiation between the two terms, and in the scientific literature, they are often used interchangeably. To gather an in-depth understanding of the usage of the two terms, a literature review (LR) was conducted based on different search strings around MM and AM. Using the principles of Design Science Research (DSR), a model was created to describe the morphologies of companies on the spectrum from MM to AM. For validation, data from assessment- and optimization projects with Austrian and German industrial companies in the fields of MM and AM was used. The results are a proposal for a differentiation scheme by the authors and a classification method that helps to understand the differences between MM and AM. Keywords: Maintenance management · Industrial asset management · Engineering asset management · Physical asset management · Industrial management · ISO 55001
1 Introduction Between 1850 and the beginning of the 20th century, maintenance was not carried out by specially qualified staff, but by the machine operators themselves. Maintenance operations at this time were mainly characterized as “Breakdown Maintenance” and presented maintenance as mere necessity and cost factor within production facilities. Within the second industrial revolution and the division of labor (Taylorism), the first maintenance manuals, which included maintenance and inspection plans, were created. Triggered by the economic upturn in the industrialized countries after the Second World War, “Preventive Maintenance” became the center of discussion. With the “Total Productive Maintenance” (TPM) philosophy, elimination and avoidance of losses in the organization turned into a central pillar in MM. In the 2000s, Reliability Centered Maintenance © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 176–184, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_24
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and Risk-Based Maintenance were introduced. Furthermore, performance measurement became more and more important. Due to the ever-increasing automatization within the manufacturing and producing industry, a holistic perspective on the maintenance process (MP) gained more and more importance [1, 2]. Higher competition, turbulent business environments, the shorter economic life cycle (LC) of production assets in certain branches, sustainability issues, and higher expectations concerning the profit by the shareholders, are just some of the current issues that industrial companies face. These issues translate into the need for a long-term increase in capital productivity, emphasizing the need for the LC value creation as an investment criterion. In combination with overcapacities in many branches and inflexibilities in certain cost factors (e.g., labor), capital-related factors and optimizing them, become more important [3]. The first approach to standardization of different AM aspects (e.g., LC strategy, maintenance activities) was published by the British Standards Institute (BSI) with the PAS 55-1 in 2008. PAS 55 serves as the basis for the international standard for AM ISO 55000 [1]. Through the smooth transition between MM and AM, it is very difficult to find a clear distinction between these two management concepts, which led the authors to write this paper [1, 4, 5]. The paper is divided into five sections. After a brief introduction and the historical background in section one, the theoretical background is discussed in chapter two, followed by the development of the morphological box in section three. The results obtained are presented in part four and discussed in the final section, where also an outlook on further research is presented. It is important to state that this paper and the history of maintenance, as presented before, is based on a literature study, empirical data is only used for the validation of the usability of the created model.
2 Theoretical Background In this section, the terms of MM and AM are elaborated, defined, and objectives, typical processes, and tasks are discussed. The MM section focuses on existing standards, as the term is already well defined, while the AM section focuses on recent scientific literature, as it is a relatively new term compared to MM. 2.1 Maintenance Management A definition of maintenance within the European industry did not exist until 1974 when the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) published the DIN 31051 “Maintenance; Terms” [6]. DIN defined maintenance as a “combination of all technical, administrative and managerial actions during the life cycle of an item intended to retain it in, or restore it to, a state in which it can perform the required function.” Furthermore, the term MM was defined as “all activities of the management that determine the maintenance objectives, strategies and responsibilities, and implementation of them by such means as maintenance planning, maintenance control, and maintenance activities and economics” [7]. The British Standards Institute (BSI) defined maintenance as “a combination of all technical and associated administrative activities required to keep an equipment, installations and other physical assets in the desired operating condition or restore them to this condition” [8]. Within the standard definition of maintenance objectives, one focus
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is set on (physical) asset value preservation, which also includes the consideration of the equipment or system over the entire LC. DEKKER divided the maintenance objectives into ensuring system function/-life/-safety and human well-being [9]. In DIN EN 13306, the main objectives are, “the availability of the item to function as required, at optimum costs; consider the safety and any other mandatory requirements associated with the item; to consider any impact on the environment; to uphold the durability of the item and/or the quality of the product or service provided considering costs where necessary” [7]. The definitions of the MM main objectives imply an item or asset-centered view as well as a total system-view. Achieving higher productivity and increase safety, maintenance objectives, strategies, and measures have been more and more influenced and adapted by the company’s strategic alignment, policy, and production plan. Hence MM is required to achieve the desired output, availability, and quality of the production. The future viability of manufacturing companies is given when MPs are defined, implemented, and continuously performed [8]. In 2017, the DIN EN 17007:2017 was published, which focuses on the MPs, their structure, and controlling and monitoring aspects. Key MPs are service, inspection, repair, and asset improvement [10]. Several authors already defined the integration of MM within AM between 1978 and 2010 [11– 13], and with the DIN EN 16646:2014, the connection between maintenance and asset management was standardized [14]. 2.2 Asset Management The Oxford English Dictionary defines an asset as “an item of property owned by a person or company, regarded as having value and available to meet debts, commitments, or legacies” [15]. The term “asset” can be clarified by describing it as something that can create and sustain value, when in use, or that appreciates or depreciates, due to a perceived ability to create value in the future, or as the ISO 55000 defines it, as, “an item, thing or entity, that has potential or actual value to an organization” [16, 17]. The term asset was, and still is, primarily used in the context of financial assets, e.g., stocks, funds, and other purely economic assets [18–20]. However, assets can take different forms; they can be physical-, financial-, human-, information-, or intangible assets. Examples for physical assets, which are at the center of this research are industrial plants, types of machinery, buildings, vehicles, railways [21]. In the industrial context, which is relevant to this paper, two terms that are used interchangeably, are currently in use: engineering AM and physical AM. In this paper, however, the authors refer to the term AM [22]. AM can be defined as, “The system that plans and controls the assetrelated activities and their relationships to ensure the asset performance that meets the intended competitive strategy of the organization” [23]. This definition already implies the holistic view of AM, namely that it encompasses a comprehensive system control of asset-related activities that are directed at achieving the organizations’ goals and an LC perspective AM takes on the management of those assets [24, 25]. Furthermore, the definition of AM can be extended by including all those practices and activities that are needed to optimally, sustainably, and risk-oriented manage an asset [26]. AM includes both technical and business activities that concern the asset, and if AM is seen at the corporate level, it should be part of the overall strategic management [27, 28]. Concluding, a cultural dimension of AM is also acknowledged in the literature [29].
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AM includes practices and processes, from the corporate level, via the plant level to the sub-process/equipment level [18]. The requirements for ISO 55001 compliance are grouped into seven categories or processes, e.g., leadership, planning, and improvement, which are also divided into several sub-processes [17, 30]. Another grouping of the AM processes can be obtained by looking at typical life cycle stages of an asset. A possible differentiation could look as follows: strategy, planning, evaluate/ design, create/ procure, operate, maintain, modify, and dispose of. The goals of these processes can be described as identifying what assets are needed, identifying funding requirements, acquiring assets, providing logistic and maintenance support for assets, and disposing and renewing assets [21]. Other authors have separated AM decisions into decisions around capital planning and budgeting, or CAPEX and decisions around the operating budget, or OPEX [21, 31]. Furthermore, the tasks of AM include strategic planning around developments in the business and asset situation, e.g., monitoring of trends, technological developments, risk factors, asset performance and condition of the assets, and outsourcing [21]. Summarizing, the classical maintenance manager differs from the asset manager in his responsibilities and tasks [31].
3 Morphologies of MM & AM This section represents the morphology and the proposal of the model itself with its different attributes from the literature. The research design of this paper is built on the principles of Hevners’ DSR methodology, where the major goal was to create an artifact to describe the morphologies of companies on the spectrum of MM to AM. The requirement for the model was to find a clear distinction between MM and AM. To satisfy the rigor cycle, an LR was carried out in the beginning to gain the theoretical background necessary for developing the model. The model was designed by incorporating the findings during the LR and re-evaluated, whenever the authors’ knowledge base was enhanced by new literature. Data from international companies that have production or manufacturing facilities in Austria and Germany were used to validate the usability of the designed model. The goal was to create a simple differentiation based on a limited number of easily visible aspects that, however, sufficiently describe the key differences between these two organizational options, as perceived by the authors of this paper and as shown in Table 1. The attributes, on which MM and AM are differentiated, reach from very general descriptions of key activities to the competencies and functions of the maintenance-, respectively, asset manager. The morphology indicates that the characteristics of AM are more in alignment with general organizational objectives concerning strategic planning, risk orientation, and value creation than those of MM. The authors claim that only a specifically qualified manager enables an organization to transition from an MM to an AM system fully. The AM manager must be capable of leading and implementing the transformation of new organizational structures and processes. It is noteworthy that these structures and processes necessitate objectives on a higher level of abstraction than the MM system requires.
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Nr
MM
AM
1
Key Activities Techn. actions, planning, documentation
Org. actions, planning & controlling,
2
Objectives
Manage an asset optimally and sustainably, important items being asset expenditures, performances and risks to achieve the organizational strategic plan
3
Personnel Functional teams, technical competences Competencies
Multi-disciplinary teams
4
Focus on
OPEX
CAPEX + OPEX
5
IT-System
Computerized maintenance management system (CMMS)
Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)
6
LC
Planning, evaluate/design, create/procure, operate/maintain/modify
Strategic AM Plan (SAMP) as a starting point, risks addressed when planning for the AM system, AM objectives derived from SAMP, Disposal Phase part of AM
7
Org. Intersections
Functional
Cross-functional
8
Perception
Cost factor
Contributor to value creation
9
Scheduling
Based on static maintenance strategies
Based on external factors, dynamic maintenance strategy adaption
Only internal
Internal & external
10 Stakeholder consideration
Maintenance-related objectives
(continued)
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Table 1. (continued) Nr
MM
AM
11 Sustainable Orientation
Long-term success factors For the maintenance organization
Through corporate alignment
12 Weak Point Analysis
Focus technical
Also organizational
13 Hierarchical Position (Manager)
Mid-level management
Positioned at C-Level, or staff position
14 Key Technical/social/problem-solving/organization-specific Strategic/integrated Competencies competencies thinking, decision (Manager) making, risk evaluations 15 Functions (Manager)
Mostly operative
Mostly strategic
4 Results Based on the defined attributes, the authors chose four companies, whereby one from the chemical- (A), metal- (B), electronic- (C), and raw material (D) industry. The morphologies of the companies, which can be viewed in Fig. 1, are based on company information available to the authors from past projects, and benchmark data from the Maintenance Award Austria. Besides the different fields of operations, the number of employees within the maintenance department varies between 14 and 100, and the monetary asset value ranges from 25 to 550 Mio e. The differences between the companies enabled the authors to validate the usability of the presented morphology. Company A, as the smallest company concerning the number of employees within the maintenance department, represents a firm that is currently in transition. Due to the strong growth of the company, management has recognized the need for improvement to develop from a maintenance organization (MO) to an AM organization (AMO). The morphological profile of B, a company with constant sales, uncoupled from economic cycles, represents that of a classical MO. Company C, as representative of the electronic industry, faces strong international competition, which is why C has decided to implement AM. The AMOs’ morphology reflects this strategic decision. Company D is transitioning from MM to AM and has started doing so by expanding the managers’ competencies.
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Nr. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
O. Schmiedbauer et al. Company A MM AM ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Company B MM AM ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Company C MM AM ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Company D MM AM ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Fig. 1. Application of the MM & AM morphology
5 Discussion and Outlook In this paper, an approach to differentiate between MM and AM was introduced. Coming from an LR and using DSR, the authors have created a morphology that visualizes the proposed differences concerning certain items of the two management concepts. The usability of the model was validated by using company data from four different companies from Austria and Germany, that represent different branches and sizes of MO and AMO. Further steps on the research agenda are a verification of the proposed model by independent experts and a comparison with job descriptions of maintenanceand asset managers by different companies. Moreover, validation with a higher number of companies is necessary. The authors do not claim exhaustiveness of the model; the attributes in the morphology represent only a selection of well and easily definable properties. Nevertheless, the model enables researchers and practitioners to quickly assess organizations and define, where they can be found on the spectrum from a classical MO to a holistic AMO.
References 1. Reichel, J., Müller, G., Haeffs, J. (eds.): Betriebliche Instandhaltung. V, Springer, Heidelberg (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-53135-8 2. Nakajima, S.: Introduction to TPM. Total Productive Maintenance. Productivity Press, Cambridge (1988) 3. Komonen, K., Kortelainen, H., Räikkönen, M.: Corporate asset management for industrial companies: An integrated business-driven approach. In: Asset Management: The State of the Art in Europe from a Life Cycle Perspective (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-272 4-3_4 4. Schenk, M.: Instandhaltung technischer Systeme. Methoden und Werkzeuge zur Gewährleistung eines sicheren und wirtschaftlichen Anlagenbetriebs. Springer, Heidelberg (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-03949-2
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5. Maletiˇc, D., et al.: Contingency factors influencing implementation of physical asset management practices. Organizacija (2017). https://doi.org/10.1515/orga-2017-0003 6. DIN Deutsches Institut für Normung e. V.: Instandhaltung; Begriffe. Beuth Verlag GmbH, Berlin (1974). 01.040.03; 03.080.10(31051-1) 7. DIN Deutsches Institut für Normung e. V.: Instandhaltung – Begriffe der Instandhaltung. Beuth Verlag GmbH, Berlin (2015). 01.040.03; 03.080.10(13306) 8. Ben-Daya, M., Duffuaa, S.O., Raouf, A., Knezevic, J., Ait-Kadi, D.: Handbook of Maintenance Management and Engineering. Springer, London (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/9781-84882-472-0 9. Dekker, R.: Applications of maintenance optimization models: a review and analysis. Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf. (1996). https://doi.org/10.1016/0951-8320(95)00076-3 10. Schröder, W.E.: Reorganisation der Instandhaltung durch Konzentration auf die Kernkompetenzen. Der Instandhaltungs-Berater 11. Oberhofer, A.F.: Anlagenwirtschaft. BHM 123, 217–224 (1978) 12. Männel, W.: Anlagen und Anlagenwirtschaft. In: Grochla, E.u.a. (ed.) Handwörterbuch der Betriebswirtschaft, 1/1, 4th edn., Stuttgart, pp. 138–147 (1974) 13. Biedermann, H.: Anlagenmanagement. Managementinstrumente zur Wertsteigerung, 2nd edn. Schriftenreihe Erfolgspotentiale für Unternehmer und Führungskräfte. TÜV Media, Köln (2008) 14. DIN Deutsches Institut für Normung e. V.: Instandhaltung – Instandhaltung im Rahmen des Anlagenmanagements. Beuth Verlag GmbH, Berlin (2015). 03.100.01(16646) 15. Stevenson, A.: The Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2010) 16. Amadi-Echendu, J.E., Xie M., Durrani T.S., Tnag H.K.: Managing physical assets is a paradigm shift from maintenance. In: IEEE International Engineering Management Conference, vol. 3 (2004) 17. International Organization for Standardization: Asset management—Overview, principles and terminology (2014). 01.040.03; 03.100.01(55000) 18. Satchell, S. (ed.): Asset Management. Springer, Cham (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/9783-319-30794-7 19. Michaud, R.O., Michaud, R.O.: Efficient Asset Management. A Practical Guide to Stock Portfolio Optimization and Asset Allocation, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, New York (2008) 20. Tirenni, G.: Allocation of Marketing Resources to Optimize Customer Equity. Dissertation, University of St. Gallen (2005) 21. Hastings, N.A.J.: Physical Asset Management. Springer, Cham (2015). https://doi.org/10. 1007/978-3-319-14777-2 22. Al Marzooqi, F.A., Hussain, M., Ahmad, S.Z.: Performance of physical asset management using the analytic hierarchy process. Prop. Manag. (2019). https://doi.org/10.1108/PM-072018-0039 23. El-Akruti, K., Dwight, R.: Research methodologies for engineering asset management. In: ACSPRI Social Science Methodology Conference (2010) 24. El-Akruti, K., Dwight, R.: A framework for the engineering asset management system. J. Qual. Maint. Eng. (2013). https://doi.org/10.1108/JQME-01-2012-0002 25. Emmanouilidis, C., Komonen, K., Kiritsis, D., Taisch, M., Prabhu, V.: Physical asset management practices in industry: Comparisons between Greece and other EU countries. IFIP Adv. Inf. Commun. Technol. 415, 509–516 (2013) 26. Burnett, S., Vlok, P.J.: A simplified numerical decision-making methodology for physical asset management decisions. S. Afr. J. Ind. Eng. (2014). https://doi.org/10.7166/25-1-689 27. El-Akruti, K., Zhang, T., Dwight, R.: Maintaining pipeline integrity through holistic asset Management. Eur. J. Ind. Eng. (2016). https://doi.org/10.1504/EJIE.2016.078805
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Digital Marketing in China - Weibo and Fan Economy Nikola Zivlak(B) , Shiyuan Zhang, and Yueqi Shi Emlyon Business School, 23 Avenue Guy de Collongue, Ecully, France [email protected]
Abstract. During the previous decade, People’s Republic of China undoubtedly became one of the main drivers of digital marketing in the World. Digital marketing trends in China move so quickly that it is quite hard for foreign companies to keep up. With the booming of mobile devices, social platforms have changed the way how people communicate and play an important role in daily life, stimulating the growth of social media marketing. Sina Weibo, as one of the major social media platforms in China, also acts an influential digital marketing channel having almost 400 million users. This paper focuses on the difference between non-fan and fan users in order to analyze the target audience and classify Sina Weibo users into various fan levels. The results are related to user pattern, including the preferred features, purchasing behaviors on Sina Weibo VIP membership, of non-fan users and fan users (in different fan levels) and how it would affect the marketing practice on Sina Weibo. This paper provides a new perspective on Sina Weibo user behavior analysis, gives a clear definition of non-fan and fan users and discuss the difference in their user pattern. The findings are very valuable for marketers and companies from China and abroad, especially from the Belt and Road countries, interested in digital marketing in the largest market in the World. In order to effectively promote in China, it is crucial to better understand users on Sina Weibo and lay the foundation for future successful Sina Weibo marketing campaign. Keywords: Sina Weibo · Fandom · Fan economy · User behavior · User pattern · Belt and road initiative
1 Introduction With the widely use of Internet and other new technologies, marketing has experienced a shift of focus from traditional marketing relying on channels including TV and paper media to digital marketing represented by Internet marketing and email marketing. Digital marketing is no longer a “new term” for both marketers and general public. With the booming of mobile devices, social media platforms have changed how people communicate and play an important role in daily life, stimulating the growth of social media marketing. Sina Weibo, one of the major social media platforms in China, has been frequently mentioned and analyzed in paper regarding to digital marketing in China [1]. Meanwhile, © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 185–192, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_25
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the scale and impact of fan economy has witnessed an exponential growth and fans have created a new market that no company or brand wants to lose. Several scholars have researched on content strategies and marketing patterns and psychology strategy, providing insights on Sina Weibo marketing [2]. Yet few researches mentioned about the concept of “fan economy”, combine “fan economy” into Sina Weibo marketing and conclude how it impacts marketing practice on Sina Weibo. The research problem that this paper analyzed and discussed is about how non-fan and fan users (with a broader concept) use and behave on Sina Weibo and whether there is an obvious difference in the user pattern of users in various categories. The research goal is to provide a new perspective for Sina Weibo user behavior analysis, give a clear definition of non-fan and fan users and discuss the difference in their user pattern. By reviewing materials and secondary data, the development of fan economy: a case study of Super Girls in 2004 to 2006; start of mobile digital age: the emergence of social media platforms from 2009 to 2012; the mechanism to trigger fan economy in 4G era and how Sina Weibo adopted different strategies (140-world limit per post, introduce the concept of fan, encourage influencers) to attract users in its early phase is discussed and summarized. Also, based on [3], non-fan and fan users (in different levels) are defined in several aspects. Through survey analysis, the results show that besides the major features of posting, commenting and reposting, non-fan user or users in lower fan level (follower fan user) prefers features that enable to acquire information while higher-level fan users, pay attention to interactional features and are more engaged with online friends. Also, there is great difference between the purchasing behavior of Sina Weibo VIP membership and evaluation of Sina Weibo in non-fan and fan users.
2 Digital Marketing and Fan Culture 2.1 Digital Marketing and Sina Weibo According to [4] digital marketing is defined as “the ability to interactively communicate with customers through electronic channels, such as the web, e-mail, smart devices such as phones and tablets, and mobile applications”. A previous survey on US digital marketing spending [5] indicated that the four most recognized techniques of digital marketing are social, mobile, analytics, and e-commerce. Previously, communication between companies and their potential customers was associated mainly with a monologue delicately prepared by firms through traditional marketing tools (e.g. adverts, sales promotions, etc.). Nowadays, the Internet allows individuals to communicate directly with companies and vice versa; in the way the characteristic of marketing communication has changed from a one-way to becoming a two-way process. Launched in April 2011, Sina Weibo is a micro-blogging platform and also one of the largest social media platforms in China with over 203 million daily active users according to Sina Weibo Quarterly Statement Q1 2019 and about users of Sina Weibo covered 42.3% of overall 829 million Chinese netizens [1].
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According to [6] “microblogging is the key feature of social media platform that allows users to broadcast short messages to friends and followers, ensuring frequent and immediate updates on their activities, opinions, and status.” There is an obvious trend that digital channel including Sina Weibo becomes more and more crucial in terms of marketing performance. Paper [7] researched on movie market and the paper concluded online word-of-mouth via social media has an impact on customer’s motivation to enter cinema. The results showed that social media had “the broadest influence on consumers’ intrinsic motivation”. 2.2 Roles of Fan in Digital Age In digital age, users can easily become others’ fans or followers by clicking the button of “subscribe” on a certain social media page. However, some scholars claim that becoming a real fan is actually more demanding. Authors in [8] gave their opinions that maintaining one’s identity as a fan is “a demanding and often demeaning task—rather than a choice—that is not always as fulfilling as the content that fans love to consume.”
3 Review of Fan Economy in China Fan economy refers to an income-generating behavior, which based on the relationship between fans and followers. It is a business operation mode that can enhances user stickiness and obtain economic benefits, social benefit in the form of word-of-mouth marketing. The development of fan economy in China experienced three most important periods: Period 1: From 2004 to 2006 - Booming of TV Talent Show: a case study of Super Girls, Period 2: From 2009 to 2012 the start of mobile digital age: the emergence of social media platforms and Period 3: 2012-Till now 4G era – Mechanism to trigger fan economy. During the Period 1, only 7.5% of Chinese citizens had internet. And TV talent show “Super Girls” introduced the idea of “fan economy” to China’s market. There were 150,000 girls signing up and over 400 million audience [9]. As for Period 2 from 2009, a lot of celebrities were invited and attracted to create a Sina Weibo account. Users in Sina Weibo can communicate freely with celebrities and other users; they could post pictures, videos and comments on their homepage; they also could “like” other users. WeChat is another popular application in mobile digital age, as a tool to send messages to friends and family members. [10]. After 2012, 4G opened new opportunities for Sina Weibo, and Sina Weibo had undoubtedly become the largest platform for public opinion gathering and distributing in China. Sina Weibo has been formed a complete mechanism to trigger fan economy: directly input from influencers and bloggers – directly receive from audiences and fans - establish relationship through communication on Sina Weibo – blogger open a e-shop or send product information – fans purchase.
4 Survey Analysis To better understand the difference of Sina Weibo users in various levels, survey analysis is conducted to collect more data and information from users’ views. Through the analysis
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of existing materials, which provided background of the research, the survey questions are designed to gather relevant data in order to solve the problems: how to define a fan and how to reflect the user pattern through answering questions. The questions in the survey included the following parts: demography, how to define a fan and user pattern. Some scholars have noticed the diffidence between obsessive groupies or fanatics and fans in modern day who are active in digital platform. Concept of “ideal, modern-day fan”, as “a balanced individual who advocates for the product within their own extensive network” was proposed in [3]. The difference between follower users and non-fan user is based on the respondents’ respond on certain question in the survey that is “In your interested topic, do you continuously follow one or some influencer on Sina Weibo?” If the respondent’s answer is “no”, he or she will be labeled as a non-fan user in our analysis. Although the subject of [3] is confined to fans of a brand or a product, it gave insights to our analysis on how to define and classify fans. Based on the previous analysis, several levels of fans, from follower to high-level fans are defined in Table 1 below. Table 1. Definition of fans in different levels. Fan Level
Action
Emotion
Interaction
Follower
Click “follow”
a. Create alert to track the latest post b. Join in fan group on Sina Weibo
a. Participate in online activities or events organized by fan group (e.g. online voting) b. Willing to support the influencer financially
Primary-level fan
Feel positive to most posts
a. Feel excited to see latest update b. Willing to interact with other fans
a. Sense of achievement from participation b. Feel negative of the critics and willing to defend for the influencer
Intermediate-level fan
Prefer to click “like” on post
a. Comment on several posts b. Willing to express the appreciation of favorite influencer on his/her own social media page
a. As primary fan-as-creator, create contents and share to public in order to attract attention and favor from other audiences b. Tend to believe the content from the influencer
High-level fan
a. Organize online events in fan group b. Participate in several offline activities c. Willing to purchase cultural products from the influ-encer
a. Sense of responsibility of fan group b. Passionate to created content related to the influencer c. Sense of achievement from support and appreciation given by other fans
a. Develop his or her own skills or seek assistance from own resources to support the influencer b. A professional fan-as-creator, created contents that are acknowledged by other fans c. High in fan community hierarchy with own followers
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4.1 User Pattern An analysis in the user patterns and motivations of Weibo was conducted in [11]. The designed survey listed 40 motivations of using Sina Weibo and asked the respondents using the phrase “I use Sina Weibo _____” and to rank these motivates from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). In our analysis, the data from the section of user pattern of questionnaire is going to answer: preference on Sina Weibo’s feature, time spent on Sina Weibo per day, frequency to post original content, number of users that the respondent follows, the interested topic, purchase experience of VIP membership and motivations and evaluation of the App.
5 Research Findings The survey was assigned to random online users on WeChat and Sina Weibo and the language of the questionnaire was Chinese. The whole sample could be divided based on gender and age and 336 responses were received. 5.1 Separate the Samples In previous chapter, the action, interaction and emotional behaviors of fans in different are clearly defined. For question “Whether you have continuously followed one or more influencers on Sina Weibo?” Samples with answer “No” are classified as non-fan users. The rest are fan users. To define the level for each sample, the authors calculated the weight based “fan index” for each sample. The score of weight for each option are shown in Table 2 below. The respondent chose the behaviors (in the aspects of action, emotion and interaction) which conform to their own user behavior as a fan. The calculation of fan index is based on the following formula: n2 n3 n1 wn1 ∗ actionn1 + wn2 ∗ emotionn2 + wn3 ∗ interactionn3 fan index = 1
1
1
(1) : the numbers of acion factor selected ; n2 : n1 : the numbers of emotion factor selected ; n3 the numbers of interacion factor selected ; w : the weight of the selcted factor Based on the fan index: samples with index of [1, 3] are classified as follower users; samples with index of [4,15] are classified as primary-level fan users; samples with index of [16,27] are classified as intermediate-level fan users; samples with index higher than 27 are classified as high-level fan users. Based on respondent’s responses on these questions, they are divided into these five categories for in-depth analysis, as 116 non-fan users, 31 followers, 75 primary-level fans, 61 intermediate-level fans, 53 high-level fans.
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Action factors
Emotional factors
Interaction factors
Weight
Click “follow”
Feel positive to most posts
Prefer to click “like” on post
1
Create alert to track the latest post Feel excited to see latest update
Comment on several posts
2
Join in fan group on Sina Weibo
Willing to interact with other fans
Willing to express the appreciation of favorite influencer on his/her own social media page
3
Participate in online activities or events organized by fan group
Sense of achievement from participation
As primary fan-as-creator, create contents and share to public in order to attract attention and favor from other audiences
4
Willing to support the influencer financially
Feel negative of the critics and willing to defend for the influencer
Tend to believe the content from the influencer
5
Participate in several offline activities
Sense of responsibility of fan group
Develop his or her own skills or seek assistance from own resources to support the influencer
6
Willing to purchase cultural products from the influencer
Passionate to created content related A professional fan-as-creator, to the influencer created contents that are acknowledged by other fans
7
Organize online events in fan group
Sense of achievement from support given by other fans
8
High in fan community hierarchy with own followers
5.2 Key Findings Different Preferences in Sina Weibo’s Features. Results show that the major features of Sina Weibo: update posts and generate contents and interact with other users (comment or repost other posts) are ranked in top 5 in every category of users. In addition to major features, the figures show that non-fan user or users in lower level (follower fan user) prefers features that enable to acquire information, including check out the “most searched hashtags” and hottest topics and search for information (for certain product, person, recipe, etc.). In contrast, higher-level fan users, who have joined in fan club or group on Sina Weibo, pay attention to interactional features and are more engaged with online friends, including check out Sina Weibo Friend Circle. Their participation in fandom strengthens their needs to communicate and socialize with other fans and friends on Sina Weibo and thus explain their dependence on the interactional features on Sina Weibo. Different Attitudes Towards Sina Weibo VIP Membership. The figures show that non-fan users are reluctant to pay for Sina Weibo VIP membership and only 2% of them have purchased Sina Weibo VIP membership. However, an extremely high proportion of fan users investigated in this survey have purchased Sina Weibo VIP membership (80% in follower, 98.6% in primary-level, 100% in intermediate-level and high-level). The most mentioned reasons include enjoying label of VIP (28%), blocking ads (21%) and personalized setting (20.9%), indicating that over 21% investigated VIP member paid for less or no ads on Sina Weibo. Although the aim of questions related to these questions were to find out whether users would like to pay for VIP to block the ads, the result reflects more information:
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there is an obvious trend that users in higher fan level are more willing to purchase Sina Weibo VIP membership, and raise a new question: why fan users would like to pay for VIP membership. Satisfied vs Unsatisfied. Nowadays, Sina Weibo has become one of the most influential social media platforms in China, strategies of Sina Weibo seem to be successful, but it does not 100% lead to a promising future. For marketer, it is important to understand the weakness and complaints about Sina Weibo when investing in this digital marketing channel and this survey has analyzed whether users (and which groups of users) are satisfied with the service of Sina Weibo. Based the collected data, the attitudes and evaluations from fan users and non-fan users have a great difference. Generally, non-fan users tend to be unsatisfied with Sina Weibo and only 4 respondents from 116 non-fan users gave a score over 5. In contrast, the evaluation from fan users, even in different levels, is relatively high. However, figures from survey shows that the top complaint about Sina Weibo is suspicion on truth and validity of information mentioned in 83 responses, followed by cyberbullies, lack of privacy protection and excessive ads.
6 Conclusions Social media marketing now plays a more and more vital role in brand’s digital marketing campaign, especially in Chinese market. However, without understanding the users, it is still difficult for marketer to reach the audience and launch a successful campaign. This paper would like to conduct a further analysis and solve the problem that whether non-fan and fan users (in different fan levels) have a different user pattern on Sina Weibo. With survey analysis, it is concluded that besides the major features of posting, commenting and reposting, non-fan user or users in lower fan level (follower fan user) prefers features that enable to acquire information while higher-level fan users, pay attention to interactional features and are more engaged with online friends. Also, there is great difference between the purchasing behavior of Sina Weibo VIP membership and evaluation of Sina Weibo in non-fan and fan users. Based the collected data, the attitudes and evaluations from fan users and non-fan users have a great difference. Generally, nonfan users tend to be unsatisfied with Sina Weibo and only 4 respondents from 116 non-fan users gave a score over 5. In contrast, the evaluation from fan users, even in different levels, is relatively high, over 7 of 10. Based on the results and analysis, 6 recommendations are made for marketers or scholars who are interested in Sina Weibo marketing: 1. When targeting non-fan users or users in lower fan level (follower fan user), it is recommended to gain brand or product exposure via “most searched hashtags” and hottest topics, and word-of-mouth marketing. 2. The majority of these users paid for premium features including blocks ads keywords. It is recommended for marketers to first analyze the motivations for fan users to paid for VIP membership and in case the ads are blocked by these users.
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3. Time actually spent on Sina Weibo tends to be longer than the time the user perceives to spend on Sina Weibo. When analyzing user pattern, it is recommended to collect the real data instead of directly asking the user. The potential factors for difference between the actual and perceived time may include user’s emotion, user experience design, etc. 4. It is found that there is a great different in the satisfaction of Sina Weibo between non-fan and fan users. Thus, it is important to further analyze the reasons for nonfan users’ dissatisfaction and whether these complains would lead to a potential user churn on Sina Weibo. 5. It would be meaningful to analyze the motivation and user pattern of influencer users to explain why they chose to communicate with followers via Sina Weibo instead of other social media platforms, and whether they are using feedback data collected by Sina Weibo to improve their contents and attract more fans. 6. This paper did not draw conclusions on the age groups in different fan levels. Thus, it is also valuable for future scholars to analyze the difference between fan users in different age group.
References 1. CNNIC: 43th Statistical Report on Internet Development in China. China Internet Network Information Center (2019). http://www.cac.gov.cn/2019-02/28/c_1124175677.htm 2. Wu, J.: Analysis and Discussion on the Marketing Model and Strategy Transformation in Digital Age. China Management Information (2019) 3. Fong, A.: A loaded label: intricacies of being a fan in Henrik and Sara Linden’s fans and fan cultures. Fudan J. Humanit. Soc. Sci. (2019) 4. Zahay, D.L.: Digital Marketing Management: A Handbook for the Current (or Future) CEO, vol. 1st edn., New York (2015) 5. Gartner: Key Findings from U.S. Digital Marketing Spending Survey. Gartner for Marketing (2013) (2014). http://www.gartner.com/technology/research/digital-marketing/digitalmarketing-spend-report.jsp 6. Barnes, S.J., Böhringer, M., Kurze, C., Stietze, J.: Towards an understanding of social software: the case of Arinia. In: Proceedings of HICSS-43, Kauai, HI, 5–8 January 2010 (2010) 7. Yu, K., Lu, H., Chin, C., Jhou, Y.: Box office performance: Influence of online word-of-mouth on consumers’ motivations to watch movies. Soc. Behav. Pers.: Int. J. 47(10), e8162 (2019) 8. Linden, H., Linden, S.: Fans and Fan Cultures. Palgrave Macmillan, London (2017) 9. Xinhua Net.: Fan Economy in Digital Age - Super Girls are coming (2015). http://www.xin huanet.com/ent/2015-12/31/c_128586832.htm. Accessed 11 July 2020 10. Brand Operation Alliance. The Development Path of Fan Economy in Digital Age. https://bai jiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1619383655423571957&wfr=spider&for=pc. Accessed 11 July 2020 11. Zhang, L., Pentina, I.: Motivations and usage patterns of Weibo. Cyberpsychol. Behav. Soc. Netw. 15(6), 312–317 (2012)
Automating Multidimensional Security Compliance for Cloud-Based Industry 4.0 Nikola Dalˇcekovi´c(B) , Goran Sladi´c, Nikola Luburi´c, and Milan Stojkov Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. Industry 4.0 is a concept emerged from technological advances in different fields, from expansion of cyber-physical assets to industrial internet of things encompassed with cloud-adoption that drives big data analysis and artificial intelligence applications. Innovating in such technological landscape imply higher risks both in information security and privacy as various cybersecurity threats exist in each technology. Therefore, the information security management system (ISMS) and system security plan (SSP) in industry 4.0 must manage multiple standards and regulations relating to different scope leading to multidimensional compliance problem. Managing SSP compliance with standards or regulations that overlap in scope and evolve over time is based on assessing and documenting security controls. Relying on manual efforts while the complexity and scope keep increasing is inefficient and often not possible due to the lack of the cybersecurity resources. The paper describes a process to create an industry 4.0 relevant SSP that can be automatically assessed for easier compliance management. In addition, a baseline SSP is created focused on security controls needed for industry 4.0 systems based on cloud environments. The proposed approach suggests that automated security controls assessment and auditing can be achieved which enables continual improvement of the SSP and increased efficiency for any organization trying to manage security audits. As the presented baseline SSP can be easily customized following the described process, the baseline can be used by any organization as a starting point to create the automated security management for industry 4.0 systems. Keywords: Cybersecurity · Security controls · Information security · ISMS · SSP · Industry 4.0 · Cloud
1 Introduction To understand the cybersecurity challenges of industry 4.0, it is important to understand the variety of technologies included and the evolution of industry. The industry evolution is clearly shown in [1] with the following conclusions: industry 3.0 starts with the information age while industry 4.0 is evolving from industry 3.0 mostly with the cyberphysical systems in place. Information management [2] puts crucial role on data as it is in the core sense what enables the integration between the two worlds – physical and © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 193–200, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_26
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cyber, and this integration is in the core of industry 4.0. As the cyber world in industry 4.0 is enabled to directly manage and control physical assets, there are higher associated risks as the consequences might impact the physical world in different circumstances. This also leads to creation of digital twins, or virtual replicas of the physical devices to run simulations before actual devices perform the actions in the real, physical world. All of this is leading to generation of huge amount of data with different volumes, variety and most importantly, criticality. Such amount of data is requiring cloud infrastructures while there are alternative and complementary approaches such as fog computing which may play a significant role in supporting big data applications, especially in industry 4.0 applications [3]. Cybersecurity challenges in fog computing are vast and orthogonal to cloud computing cybersecurity challenges and choice between cloud and fog is only one of the decisions in the industry 4.0 space. To summarize industry 4.0 components from [4], there are the following technical components that comprise an industry 4.0 solution: cloud computing, mobile devices, IoT platforms, location detection technologies, advanced human-machine interfaces, smart sensors, big data analytics and advanced algorithms, multi-level customer interaction and customer profiling, augmented reality, and wearables. These numerous components lay the foundation for the main challenge for securing the industry 4.0: the system is composed out of a series of technical components, very different in nature, spanning across different fields of application from cyber-physical devices to cloud, versus securing a single technology. There are many research studies that try to enumerate the threat vectors, risks, and approaches to efficiently apply cybersecurity to referent architectures with examples of security controls applied. However, even though many studies have reported threats along with security controls for mitigation, there has been little research focused on end to end security providing compliance monitoring and automation. Since continuous monitoring is the way to ensure that particular security controls are well implemented, automation is necessary in such disperse and wide area of technology. The purpose of the present study is to define a methodology that would ensure cybersecurity of industry 4.0 systems taking into consideration a variety of such systems on one side, and lack of cybersecurity expertise on the other. As described, industry 4.0 system is composed of different technological components which altogether focuses the research question on how to respond to security assessments that use different security frameworks through automated security control assessment and compliance management. The rest of the paper is organized in the following sections: section two describes related works; section three illustrates proposed solution and the process of building a reference cybersecurity framework, and at the end, section four summarizes the contributions of this paper and plans for future research.
2 Related Work Approaches to compliance management are usually based on a manual effort, performed by cybersecurity professionals who maintain compliance evidence and perform internal audits to establish a relevant control process needed for continual compliance management. The presented research work is built on foundation of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity risk management framework [5, 6] with aim
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to provide guidance for an integrated, organization-wide program for managing information security risk to organizational operations, organizational assets, individuals, other organizations, but with important addition to keep track of risks associated with product development and system operations. Furthermore, NIST cybersecurity framework [7] is used as a self-assessment tool to help organizations better understand the effectiveness of their cybersecurity risk management efforts and is the key pillar for a process that will drive and ensure an end to end cybersecurity in industry 4.0. Moreover, the General Services Administration (GSA) partnered with NIST to create the Open Controls Security Assessment Language (OSCAL). The language describes security controls in a standardized and machine-readable format, and enables providers to express their system security plans, which describe how an organization has implemented the necessary security controls, in a machine-readable format. OSCAL enables automation in both the documentation and assessment of security controls [8]. The OSCAL documentation is given in [9], while the source code can be accessed publicly [10], and the project is also open for public contributions. As OSCAL is becoming an integral part of the research community, one of its authors [11] has described meta-schema of OSCAL language bringing more clarity to the design and intentions of the automation language. OSCAL is foundational for this research, which is true also for the research presented in [12]. While the foundation is the same, the works are complementary as the authors created a tool based on OSCAL format with aim to specifically promote the enhancement of risk management by composing reports and graphs in different NIST defined domains, controls, and capabilities specification effectively. This helps to reduce development cost, time, and manpower by using the tool to quickly define information system security standards based on NIST’s security and privacy guidelines [12]. Such tool is a logical next step for effectively using OSCAL formatted documents as it enables cybersecurity experts to manage the risks and requirements in an intuitive way using the tools built-in technical dictionary to implement established risk management procedures using applicable security controls. As a useful tool making the manipulation of OSCAL documents easier, this research [12] is complimentary to the work presented by this paper. Since the security programs are built on risk management frameworks, a research presented in [13] relates to this research as the conclusions imply that there might be cybersecurity risks when common insecure industrial control systems (ICS) environments adopt industry 4.0. The findings also show that already existing technologies, once extended with other components in a system, need to be revisited as the cybersecurity of overall system is not a sum of cybersecurity of each component. The reason behind these conclusions reside in the fact that the security context for a component changes as it becomes a part of a system that includes more variety. There is no generally accepted, and established methodology for assessing industry 4.0 readiness of enterprises [14], while the aim of this research is to offer one. The related work [14] gives an overview of industry 4.0 readiness assessments, and methods has been provided, showing some examples in more detail. The main idea is to provide a useful assessment process for the management of an enterprise so they can use the results of an industry 4.0 assessment as benchmarking information. This process would
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have to include periodic assessments where the proposed methodology in this paper tries to give an automated solution for such assessments. The paper [15] introduces a stepwise process that systematically extracts relevant security requirements from control standards to build a certification baseline for organizations to use in conjunction with formal methods and service agreements for accreditation. Central idea is the same as in this research and some of the ideas such as described internal system certification lifecycle are used to formulate the proposed process in this research. A security program that responds to different standards would benefit from using control mapping processes such as described in [15]. The interconnection between cloud-based systems and cyber-physical assets is explained in [16], originating in increased data and business intelligence solutions. Furthermore, as a Service models are briefly explained where it can be concluded that if an industry 4.0 system provider uses cloud to deliver the services, it becomes ultimately responsible for the data stored within the cloud instances which would mean that cloud security automatically becomes a part of the target SSP. Such requirements do bring privacy concerns as well as the vendor of software-based solutions have the access to the data which directly interconnects the organizations’ information security management system (ISMS) with the SSP. Finally, considering how often industry 4.0 systems are actually the main drivers behind ICS systems, the contributions of the paper [17] are of great importance as it connects the standards needed for ISMS implementation with standards that are used for SSP. Furthermore, it gives a brief overview of different ICS standards making it easier for ingesting requirements into the final SSP of an industry 4.0 system.
3 Methodology The ISMS and SSP often overlaps within the organizations that are software providers. This is essentially true for companies that provide software as a service (SaaS) which is usually the case when cloud computing is used. Figure 1 shows a generic industry 4.0 system components that needs to be secured, but moreover, they must be securely integrated into the whole system that provides functionalities to the end users. If cloud computing is used, as a service business model is assumed which further implies that the vendor is responsible for software maintenance and the operations of the software. Operating the software application and being responsible for the ultimate availability of the service, the organization itself becomes a part of the cybersecurity supply chain where the integration of ISMS and SSP is inevitable as the ISMS controls needs to also include controls required by the target system and those controls need to cover technology, people and processes that deliver the service to the end users. Besides cloud computing, there are other components that might require remote access to software products by the vendor, as shown in Fig. 1. Also, if cloud is used to provide SaaS offerings, the organization employees have access to customer data, and the access needs to be controlled and managed as it involves privacy issues. Thus, privacy programs are increasingly important in cloud based deployments. Besides the cloud component, the same implications are true in any of the component that is managed by the vendor, especially if the component itself is provided by the same vendor.
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Fig. 1. Industry 4.0 components and cybersecurity operational liability
Figure 2 presents the proposed process for managing compliance in organizations that must comply with multiple regulatory frameworks. First, it is very important to properly identify security requirements by investigating which legal and regulatory security requirements are applicable in local laws and laws of countries where the customers and potential market is. Also, using business objectives and risks associated with the system that the organization creates, cybersecurity experts can determine the right control catalogs in step two. The second step is dedicated to identifying security controls that may be selected from different security frameworks. In industry v4.0, the Table 1 helps in selection of baseline controls necessary for step three. The X marks a match for given component and framework family, while O stands for optional as it depends on the nature of data that is being processed by the industry 4.0 system like the personally identifiable information for GDPR. In modern industry 4.0 systems, GDPR and CCPA are very likely needed as the chances for processing sensitive data are high.
Fig. 2. OSCAL based automated compliance management
The optional (O) and required (X) standards for components represent statistically high probability of applicability as the final confirmation would need to be analysed per each industry 4.0 system and organization. Besides the baseline security controls, it’s important to note that secure software development must be addressed for each component in the following ways:
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Component/Standard
ISO 27001 NIST 800-53
Cloud/Big data/Cognitive
X
Machine to M Mobile
O
Advanced robotics IoT
X
Industry 4.0
X
NIST 800-82
GDPR CCPA
CSA CCM ISO 27017
O
X
X
O
O
O
X
O
X
O
O
O
X
X
1) If the organization produces software, the use of security development lifecycle (SDL) is required, such as NIST 800-160 [18], or 2) If the organization uses commercial of the shelf products or libraries, supply chain checks need to be performed through supplier cybersecurity evaluation controls, such as specified in ISO 27001 [19], control A.15. The supply chain evaluation usually focuses on assessing the ISMS and SSP of software vendor. The main reason for having to respond to different framework assessments is having to respond to different customers supply chain checks, usually from different market segments. The central idea of this paper is to rely on OSCAL language and create connections between controls from different frameworks. In this way, assessing custom SSP, defined in step three (Fig. 2), can provide answers to different audits and help maintain compliance within various frameworks. With OSCAL, it is possible to define a set of controls by referencing the controls from other control catalogs (standards). Also, security controls can be enhanced with particular constraints, either by using controls from other standards that are stricter than the controls from the baseline catalog, or by adding explicit customer requirements as constraints to controls. The advantages are that OSCAL is defined in XML, or JSON data format making control description, their enhancements and documentation that addresses particular controls a machine readable, rather than human readable such as traditionally is the case. This reduces the paperwork and enables organization to create security programs that can be assessed more easily by implementing the tools based on OSCAL specification. Table 1 serves as an input for creating a baseline program for industry 4.0 that can be tailored depending on the number of components present in the final system. The process of control mapping can be described with the following activities: 1. Take a baseline catalog. For example, start with NIST SP 800-53 and GDPR, 2. Extend the baseline catalog from catalogs of the frameworks that serve the similar purpose by using OSCAL schemas and constraints that can harden the rules defined by a security control. In this case, controls from NIST SP 800-53 can be extended and mapped to controls from ISO 27001 or ENISA, while GDPR related controls can be mapped to controls extracted from CCPA.
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3. The result is a machine-readable security program defined for organization providing software products and/or services. Table 1 represents the baseline security program for industry 4.0. Once the controls are mapped between different baseline catalogs, the next step is step four: document the controls and reference documentation with OSCAL syntax. Finally, an audit or internal assessment of controls can be done against the custom security program defined by process activities from one to four (Fig. 1). As the controls are mapped against the baseline control catalogue, it is easy using OSCAL to select views of assessment results by querying baseline controls defined in particular standard. Since the mapping between different controls is maintained in XML element references as defined by OSCAL, evidence for one control satisfies all other referenced controls defined in other standards or frameworks.
4 Summary Organizations that must prove compliance with different standards and regulations usually rely on manual efforts of cybersecurity experts resulting in increased paperwork for maintaining the security compliance management. Different security standards are looking for the same or similar security controls in place to ensure the security of software products or delivered systems and services. In the industry 4.0 era, the challenges arise as the components that comprise systems come in great variety, from cyber-physical assets to the cloud systems. In brief, the paper enumerates the standards needed in common industry 4.0 components and describes the process for creating custom security program that will enable an organization to provide more effective assessment of security controls through OSCAL. Composing the security program requires time at the beginning, as cybersecurity professionals need to investigate control catalogs of various standards and to perform the mapping. Once the mapping is the complete, OSCAL can be used to store connections between different controls among different standards and to provide references to documented controls. As OSCAL format is machine readable, the process can be automated. Furthermore, the paper gives a baseline of security control catalogs that should comprise an industry 4.0 program with explanations of why industry 4.0 backed by cloud requires the integration of ISMS and SSP. Once the baseline security program is developed, it can easily be shared and re-used among cybersecurity professionals which enables creating a common security controls knowledgebase. Altogether, it seems that it would be wrong to assume any generic security program can be used as is in any industry 4.0 organization or system. On the contrary, a baseline security program proposed by this research sets the baseline for customization, and, moreover, it can guide the cybersecurity professionals through described process for tailoring the security plan so it meets the needs of different organizations. Finally, the future research is aimed at publishing OSCAL based baseline programs for industry 4.0 and development of decision support systems that would enable cybersecurity experts to map the controls between the different standards more easily.
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References 1. da Xu, L., Xu, E.L., Li, L.: Industry 4.0: state of the art and future trends. Int. J. Prod. Res. (2018). https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2018.1444806 2. Raptis, T.P., Passarella, A., Conti, M.: Data management in industry 4.0: state of the art and open challenges. IEEE Access (2019). https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2929296 3. Al Yami, M., Schaefer, D.: Fog computing as a complementary approach to cloud computing (2019). https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCISci.2019.8716402 4. Alani, M.M., Alloghani, M.: Security challenges in the industry 4.0 era. In: Dastbaz, M., Cochrane, P. (eds.) Industry 4.0 and Engineering for a Sustainable Future, pp. 117–136. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12953-8_8 5. NIST: Managing Information Security Risk Organization, Mission, and In-formation System View (2011) 6. NIST: Guide for Applying the Risk Management Framework to Federal Information Systems. NIST Special Publication 800-37 (2010). NIST Special Publication 800-37 R1 7. NIST Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity Framework|NIST (2016) 8. McLaughlin, M.: Reforming FedRAMP: A Guide to Improving the Federal Procurement and Risk Management of Cloud Services (2020) 9. OSCAL Website: The Open Security Controls Assessment Language. https://pages.nist.gov/ OSCAL/. Accessed 07 July 2020 10. Open Security Controls Assessment Language (OSCAL). https://github.com/usnistgov/ OSCAL. Accessed 07 July 2020 11. Piez, W.: The Open Security Controls Assessment Language (OSCAL): Schema and Metaschema (2019). https://doi.org/10.4242/BalisageVol23.Piez01 12. Huang, Y., Debnath, J., Iorga, M., Kumar, A., Xie, B.: CSAT: A User-interactive Cyber Security Architecture Tool based on NIST-Compliance Security Controls for Risk Management (2019). https://doi.org/10.1109/UEMCON47517.2019.8993090 13. Matsuda, W., Fujimoto, M., Aoyama, T., Mitsunaga, T.: Cyber Security Risk Assessment on Industry 4.0 using ICS Testbed with AI and Cloud (2019). https://doi.org/10.1109/AINS47 559.2019.8968698 14. Rajnai, Z., Kocsis, I.: Assessing industry 4.0 readiness of enterprises (2018). https://doi.org/ 10.1109/SAMI.2018.8324844 15. Hale, M.L., Gamble, R.F.: Semantic hierarchies for extracting, modeling, and connecting compliance requirements in information security control standards. Requir. Eng. 24(3), 365– 402 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00766-017-0287-5 16. Juan-Verdejo, A., Surajbali, B.: XaaS multi-cloud marketplace architecture enacting the industry 4.0 concepts. In: Camarinha-Matos, L.M., Falcão, A.J., Vafaei, N., Najdi, S. (eds.) DoCEIS 2016. IAICT, vol. 470, pp. 11–23. Springer, Cham (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-31931165-4_2 17. Knowles, W., Prince, D., Hutchison, D., Disso, J.F.P., Jones, K.: A survey of cyber security management in industrial control systems. Int. J. Crit. Infrastruct. Protect. (2015). https://doi. org/10.1016/j.ijcip.2015.02.002 18. Ross, R., McEvilley, M., Carrier Oren, J.: Systems Security Engineering Considerations for a Multidisciplinary Approach in the Engineering of Trustworthy Secure Systems (2016) 19. International Organization for Standardization (ISO): ISO/IEC 27001. Information security management (2015)
Integration of Value Stream Mapping and Discrete Event Simulation: A Case Study from Lean Bojan Jovanoski1(B)
, Robert Minovski1 , Marjan Todorov1 , Trajce Velkovski1 and Bojan Jovanovski2
,
1 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje,
North Macedonia [email protected] 2 FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria
Abstract. The purpose of this paper is to present the practical implementation of value stream mapping (VSM) by monitoring selected key lean parameters and using a discrete event simulation (DES) to generate scenarios for improvement of the process. The value stream mapping, as one of the basic lean tools, forms the basis for presenting the current state of the system and at the same time opens guidance and opportunities for improvement. The experimentation, i.e. the transition from “as is” to “to be” state of the system is driven by the discrete event simulation, which eliminates the disadvantages of the classic “pencil driven method” and replaces them with the possibilities of the simulation as a tool where it is easy to quantify the change in the system and show the benefit of implementing lean methods. The progress and transit to the future state of the system is monitored through selected key performance indicators. Various experiments have been conducted showing the methodological approach to process improvement. Keywords: Value stream mapping · Lean · Key performance indicators · Simulation · Guided VSM simulation · Process capacity analysis · Process improvement
1 Introduction Lean philosophy is treated as a concept that effectively eliminates or at least reduces system losses. Lean with its tools can assist in 8 problems of production planning and control [1], ranging from materials, work and process planning, through the deployment and management of reserves and ending with process design and production and management of the supply chain. The basic principles of lean defined in [2] are: • Value • Value stream © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 201–207, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_27
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• Flow • Pull • Perfection Lean is defined as the way to specify value in the system, to emphasize actions that add value in the best sequence, to perform these activities without interruption, and to perform them more effectively and efficiently [3]. From this sentence it is worth highlighting a few keywords that will guide you in this paper. The first part is specifying the value. Using the lean philosophy and its utilities (mainly value stream mapping - VSM) specifying or mapping the value in the considered system will be done. The second part is the sequencing of activities that add value in the best sequence, in order to optimize the operation of the system under consideration, with the aim of utilizing various lean tools and presenting an appropriate step-by-step methodology for applying these lean tools. The third and last thing is to carry out these activities without interruption and to increase the effectiveness of their implementation. Monitoring the effectiveness of the system in this paper will be followed by the selection of appropriate lean parameters for which an empirical study of world literature has been made [4]. The lean tool - value stream mapping, will be used as the basis for specifying the value in the system. The authors in [5] state that the implementation of lean manufacturing begins with the creation and development of value stream maps. It is a basic lean tool used to map the current state of the system which, using a series of visual methods and elements, identifies different logistic flows of information and material at multiple levels. The current state map is the basis for identifying losses in the system and the starting point for identifying lean tools for loss reduction [6]. Discrete events simulation (DES) is commonly used in the implementation of lean because they eliminate the weaknesses of VSM. Relevant (compelling) reasons to use them in implementing lean are defined in [7] as follows: 1. The variation must consider randomness and structures. 2. The data must be fully analyzed to allow a better understanding of the random nature of system behavior. 3. Interaction between system components must be evaluated. 4. The future condition must be validated before being applied to minimize or eliminate the trial period, error correction and to reduce risk. 5. Alternatives to the future situation must be systematically identified and considered.
2 Literature Overview The design and implementation of lean by nature is a deterministic process by nature. Production processes and its elements are variable, although in lean implementation they are defined as deterministic. It is the interaction between the different elements of the process that is one of the main reasons for the introduction of DES during lean implementation [8]. Further in the same paper, lists of ways how a simulation model can improve (enhance) VSM are:
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• The time dimension can be included in the model so that dynamic changes in the behavior of the system can be represented and evaluated • The behaviors of individual entities such as parts, inventory levels, and material handling devices can be observed and inferences regarding behavior made • Variability, both structural and random, are commonly included in simulation models and the effects of variability on system performance are determined • The interaction effects between components can be implicitly or explicitly included in a simulation model Other reasons for introducing simulation as a complementary tool to VSM are its ability to quantify benefits in the early stages of planning and evaluation [6]. Further, in [9] simulation is used to demonstrate its use as a tool to assist organizations in their decision to apply lean, as well as to quantify the benefits of applying lean principles. Some of these benefits are: warehousing and in-process inventory levels; transport and conveyance requirements; the effectiveness of production control and scheduling systems; uniformity of demand and delivery requirements from parts suppliers, and system responsive to market demand and customer delivery requirements. The disadvantages of the lean approach are also discussed in [7] where lean weaknesses regarding simulation capabilities are presented, possible case studies are presented, and situations when using simulation are presented. In [10] Lean & DES are used to show a configuration framework which will reflect the impact of the dynamics and complexity of the DES simulation. The primary role of DES in this paper will be to create a dynamic process of VSM, that is, to establish transit dynamics between the two “as is” and “to be” phases. This role of DES is depicted in [11]. The so-called SimLean approach serves to enable a connection between DES and Lean. Creating dynamic value stream maps is presented in [12], which emphasizes the need to use DES because of the improved capability of analyzing more complex systems compared to traditional VSM maps and for a wider range of products. The capability for detailed analytics of DES is also an advantage versus the “pen and paper” based VSM. In [13] the need for quantification and optimization of future state maps by using DES simulations as one of the possible methods is emphasized. DES simulation in combination with VSM has been used in [14] to find and answer questions that cannot be addressed with the static model of VSM. The synthesis of VSM and DES, coupled with appropriate methodology, offers one universal approach that is applicable to almost all industries as well as everyday life. In [15] it is used to analyze the assembly line configuration and efficiency, as well as to present the current forms of losses and their causes. Further in [11], this fusion is demonstrated and the ways they can assist in improving health systems. VSM and DES in [16] are used to evaluate two basic lean strategies, one is pull replenishment and class-based storage policy. Furthermore, the applicability of this synthesis is shown in the process metallurgical industry in [17]. In [18] production planners use the DES model to perform “what if” scenarios to decide where to focus their efforts for continuous improvement. When analyzing the literature, it is noted that the authors use the VSM and DES methodologies separately. The comparison and value of this paper versus the literature
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analyzed is that a unique step-by-step methodology has been developed that incorporates the elements of VSM and Lean in one place and illustrates and quantifies the practical application of lean methods in one process. Performance and transit system from the present to the future state is followed by pre-developed monitoring system in (here referring to KPI labor), which incorporates 5 determinedly indicators of performance. These are VAT (Value Added Time), Cycle time, Lead time, WIP (Work In Process) and Inventory (the last two measured in parts).
3 Integration of VSM and DES For this purpose, the author will use a real case study from literature [19]. When creating the VSM model, two different methodologies will be synthesized and networked, one for value chain mapping [20] and the other for DES simulation methodology [21]. 3.1 Objective of the Paper/Research In the context of this paper, the need to optimize the situation is expressed through the basic aims of the research: – Display the transition from the current to the future state of a given process by simulating discrete events – Develop methodological approach and lean methods for process improvement – Improve process followed by selected lean key performance indicators – Lay the groundwork for future research on this topic 3.2 Defining the Problem These objectives are the guidelines of the research work conducted (and most of it presented in this paper). The main problem that needs to be undertaken is improvement of the production process based on the Lean principles. It is structured in the following parts: 1. Implementation of the new machine - this step was taken by the authors of the work undertaken and will be a focus for the process improvement, 2. Through picking adequate lean methods and tools, it will be shown how lean can help improve processes. 3. Key performance indicators that are selected within the conducted research and simulated with are: a. b. c. d.
Value Added Time - time that adds value Lead time - delivery time WIP – parts in process Inventory - stocks (before final delivery, after completion of the entire production process) e. Cycle time - a cycle time for a product
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3.3 Modeling the Improvements After numerous simulations, experiment and VSM (that cannot be included in this paper), the final report is shown in Fig. 1, where a sublimation of the results of the LEAN parameters is made which follow the simulation model, i.e. the transition of VSM from the current to the future desired state of the system.
Fig. 1. Final version of the effect of the phase-separated LEAN parameters
Throughout the experiments in the preceding section, the analyzes were made and the systematic improvements needed to be made to achieve the ideal desired state as suggested by the authors of this paper were given. The improvements in each LEAN parameter are shown in percentages, i.e. the different units of measurement are equalized. The model was followed through a series of pre-selected LEAN parameters, the results of which are further presented in Table 1. The columns “Notes” and “Lean method” show the process improvements made gradually, while expressing them through the simulation of the corresponding Lean methods. Following the definition of the given problem and the set scheme, the system capacity was increased by 173% (from 778 to 2130). At the same time, it reflected the LEAN parameters as follows: • • • •
VAT (%) improved from 38,34 to 87,35% or 127,83%; Lead time (min) decreased from 45 to 19 min or by 58%; WIP (pcs) decreased from 3318 to 502 pieces or 84,9% Inventory (pcs) - assumptions and data that were taken as input data did not affect this parameter • Cycle time (min) improves from 40 to 15 min cycle for single piece production or 63.3%. • Cycle time (min) improves from 40 to 15 cycles for single piece production or 160%. Based on these simulation results, a future state VSM was developed.
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B. Jovanoski et al. Table 1. Detailed explanation of the transition and improvements in the experiments
Exp Sim time Through- VAT (%) (days) put
Lead time (min)
WIP
Inventory Cycle time (min)
Bottleneck
Notes
Lean method
Match loader tube supply to assy max capacity Add shift to assy & packing
Bottleneck; line balance analysis; Just in Time supply
0
22
778
38.34%
45:31
3318
0
1.48
Loader tube supply
1
22
1396
59.15%
28:44
2722
0
2.65
Assembly
2
22
1422
72.79%
23:30
2680
0
2.69
Mill
3
22
1422
65.17%
26:21
2679
0
2.69
4
22
1746
87.71%
19:22
2357
0
3.31
Loader tube supply Lathe 1
5
22
1749
76.64%
22:15
2352
0
3.31
6
22
2085
87.54%
19:25
2070
0
3.95
7
22
2130
87.35%
19:03
1978
0
4.03
8
22
2130
87.35%
19:03
502
0
4.03
Loader tube supply Assembly
ignore 17pcs. Add MILL. Match mill capacity Add shift to fully utilize MILL capacity Match mill capacity Simulate needed cycle time improvement Optimize Lathe 1 WIP - match lathe capacity
Capacity balance; line utilization
Bottleneck; line balance analysis; Just in Time supply Bottleneck; line balance; Capacity utilization analysis Bottleneck; line balance analysis; Just in Time supply KAIZEN
Just in Time supply
4 Conclusion The conclusion of this paper will be guided by the objectives set out at the outset in Sect. 3.1. By modeling and simulating the current situation and following the definition of the problem posed before the start of the simulation, a transition to the future state was made and the same results were conditionally restored within the VSM methodology and an appropriate VSM map of the future state was created. Throughout the simulation, the impact of several lean methods was modeled and simulated, including “bottleneck analysis”, the JIT method for timely delivery in required quantities and a process-balancing or inter-process method was presented. The methodological approach consists of a synthesis of value chain mapping methodologies and DES methodology and their practical application to a real case. The results of a series of experiments that were conducted, improving the system using the mentioned lean methods, respectively show an increase in the overall performance of the process. The growth in the state of the selected parameters ranges from 58% to 160%. The author’s view is that this paper may serve as a basis for simulating, or improving, processes in the future by using and upgrading some of the techniques used in this paper. This approach of using VSM with simulation models is recommended especially at the experiment stage. To this end, this paper provides a solid theoretical basis underpinned by work on a real problem, a work whose settings can be used in practical work on a similar project where mapping the current state of the system via VSM will be done first, and the transition to the future state and the proposed solutions will be underpinned by simulation of the proposed solutions.
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References 1. Jeon, S.M., Kim, G.: A survey of simulation modeling techniques in production planning and control (PPC). Prod. Plann. Control 27(5), 360–377 (2016) 2. Womack, J.P.: Lean Thinking Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation. Simon & Schuster Ltd., New York (2014) 3. Womack, J.P., Jones, D.T., Roos, D.: The Machine that Changed the World. Free Press, New York (1990) 4. Todorov, M., Jovanoski, B., Minovski, R.: Key Performance indicators for lean: literature review and recommendations. Int. J. Mod. Stud. Mech. Eng. (IJMSME) 5(1), 27–36 (2019) 5. Gurumurthy, A., Kodali, R.: Design of lean manufacturing systems using value stream mapping with simulation: a case study. J. Manuf. Technol. Manag. 22(4), 444–473 (2011) 6. Abdulmalek, F.A., Rajgopal, J.: Analyzing the benefits of lean manufacturing and value stream mapping via simulation: a sector case study process. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 107(1), 223–236 (2007) 7. Standridge, C.R., Fulton, W.: Why lean needs simulation In: Proceedings of the 2006 Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 1907–1913. IEEE, Monterey (2006) 8. Marvel, J.H., Schaub, M.A., Weckman, G.: Validating the capacity planning process and flowline Product sequencing through simulation analysis. In: Proceedings of the 2005 Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 2112–2118. IEEE, Orlando (2005) 9. Detty, R.B., Yingling, J.: Quantifying the benefits of conversion to lean manufacturing with discrete event simulation: a case study. Int. J. Prod. Res. 38(2), 429–445 (2000) 10. Birkie, S.E., Trucco, P.: Understanding the dynamics and complexity factors in engine-toorder and their impact on lean implementation strategy. Prod. Plann. Control 27(5), 1–15 (2016) 11. Robinson, S., Radnor, Z.J., Burgess, N., Worthington, C.: SimLean: utilizing simulation in lean implementation in healthcare. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 219(1), 188–197 (2012) 12. Solding, P., Gullander, P.: Concepts for simulation based value stream mapping. In: Proceedings of the 2009 Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 2231–2237. IEEE, Austin (2009) 13. Roessler, M.P., Metternich, J., Abele, E.: Learning to see clear: quantifying and multidimensional assessment of value stream mapping alternatives considering variability. Bus. Manag. Res. 3(2), 93–109 (2014) 14. Mcdonald, T., Aken, E.M.V., Rentes, A.F.: Utilizing simulation to enhance value stream mapping: a manufacturing case application. Int. J. Log. Res. Appl. 5(2), 213–232 (2002) 15. Sleem, S.N., Helal, M., Elassal, A.M.: Using computer simulation in lean manufacturing implementation. In: 16th International Conference on Applied Mechanics & Mechanical Engineering, Cairo, Egypt, pp. 26–50.(2014) 16. Mahfouz, A., Arisha, A.: Lean distribution assessment using an integrated framework of value stream mapping and simulation. In: Proceedings of the 2013 Winter Simulations Conference, pp. 3440–3449. IEEE, Washington (2013) 17. Polenakovik, R., Stankovska, I., Jovanovski, B., Gecevska, V., Sutevski, D., Velkovski, T.: Innovativeness in Macedonian companies: evidence from the community innovation survey. Tech. Gazette 25(3), 910–915 (2018) 18. Marvel, J.H., Standridge, C.R.: Simulation-enhanced lean design process. J. Ind. Eng. Manag. 2(1), 90–113 (2009) 19. Xia, W., Sun, J.: Simulated guided value stream mapping and lean improvement: a case study of a tubular machining facility. J. Ind. Eng. Manag. 6(2), 456–476 (2013) 20. Rother, M., Shook, J.: Learning to See: Value Stream Mapping to Create Value and Eliminate Muda. The Lean Enterprise Institute (1999) 21. Banks, J.: Handbook of Simulation: Principles, Methodology, Advances, Applications, and Practice. Wiley, New York (1998)
Trust in the Modern Organization: Success Factor in Open Innovation Ana Neši´c(B) and Ivana Kati´c Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovi´ca 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. As a complex and convoluted concept, trust has many dimensions on which it is based, and which are more or less clearly visible. Understanding the process of establishing trust between people and groups implies understanding the various sociological, psychological, cultural and economic relations that determine the structure of trust. Most often in the literature trust is defined through dimensions that are not always clearly identified and that often aggravate the trust measurement problems. This paper analyzes the dimensions of trust, perceived through different theoretical approaches and concepts, but also through the results of a case study research in Serbia. According to conducted research one of the bases for the development of trust is the assessment of the competence of the other party in communication and interaction process. The aim of this paper is to point out the possible benefits obtained by researching the role of trust among employees. The obtained results open numerous questions related to subjective assessments in business communications, the possibilities of their objectification, but also the potential for creating open innovations in organizations. Keywords: Business communication · Trust · Open innovation · Organizations
1 Introduction 1.1 Theoretical Frameworks and Concepts Success factors of organizations represent one of the most important and most studied problems of many researchers. Special attention in recent years has been paid to innovative processes. Previous studies highlight different success factors for the open innovation process: relational aspects, the people involved in the process, governance, facilitators, provision of resources, strategy, process management, leadership and culture [1]. Research on the open innovation process in order to identify critical success factors consists of a systematic on the open innovation process. Chesbrough [2] defines open innovation as the use of purposive inflows and outflows of knowledge to accelerate internal innovation, and expand the markets for external use of innovation, respectively. Open innovations defined in this way imply a highly developed human factor and an © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 208–212, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_28
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enviable level of social capital. In modern approaches to theory and practice, the basis of innovation has equated the importance of internal and external knowledge useful for innovation. With the development of new technologies, the possibilities of sharing knowledge have greatly increased. The flow of information and knowledge is the most important segment of the development of organizational innovation. In the developed world, new methods of innovation development are significantly present. Chesbrough [3] argues that the changing business environment has required organizations to turn from a closed innovation approach to an open one. Dahlander and Gann, [4] however, conclude that a binary classification of open innovation systems and closed ones fails to go into sufficient depth. Instead, the authors argue that the two systems should be viewed as a continuum, making possible varying degrees of innovation systems and thus of openness. McLaughlin [5] believes that open innovation can only be created in conditions of good communication and interpersonal relationships. The problems that organizations face when it comes to open innovation are. West et al. [6] are committed to coordinating efforts to understand human and social capital work towards the development of innovation.
2 Trust in Organizations 2.1 Previous Approaches Trust is a major problem in creating innovation. One of the reasons for this attitude is the presence of a high level of uncertainty in the innovation process, which makes it difficult to establish trust [7]. Pagden [8] also talks about the paradox related to trust in his analysis. Namely, he believes that trust is necessary in conditions of high uncertainty, and on the other hand, in such conditions, trust is more difficult to establish. Pagden’s analysis focuses on the causal relationships between trust, innovation, and the prosperity index. The results showed that trust enables the acceptance of innovations, and the essence of trust is based on non-institutional trust. In conditions of uncertainty, trust is considered one of the most important preconditions for successful functioning, because it is an essential part of social capital. Social capital can be seen as a set of elements of social structure, both horizontal and vertical connections that affect interpersonal relationships and form the basis for the establishment of general utility [9]. Information potential, which is important for social capital, is at the same time a key starting point in establishing trust in interpersonal relationships. Trust is defined as the decision of one party to accept the actions of the other party, based on the expectation that the other party will perform a somewhat important, specific and expected action, without the ability to control that work. Mayer’s model of trust development was created through the prism of respecting the characteristics of the one who gives trust, then the one who is given trust and the role of risk in establishing trust in communication. Trust is a function of perception, goodwill, integrity, and a tendency to believe. The model presented by Mayer, Davis and Schurman indicates that three major factors determine organizational trust: the characteristics of the person giving trust, the characteristics of the person being trusted, and the perceived risk. In conditions where both integrity and goodwill are perceived as positive, trust will grow. Mentioned authors also believe that the existence of a tendency to trust, to give and receive trust must include risk, so the difference between the existence of trust and its expression
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in behavior refers to the willingness to take risks in communication. While trust implies a willingness to sometimes make oneself vulnerable or weak, according to certain theorists, risk increases this possibility and occurs in behavioral manifestations of trust [10]. The preference of the recipient and the elements of trust possessed by the provider affect the level of trust between the recipient and the provider. The characteristics of the one who receives trust are presented as the inclination of the one who receives trust, in the sense that some individuals are more willing to believe than others. The characteristics of the one who provides trust are represented by its reliability and credibility. In accordance with Mayer’s views and the influential integrative model of trustworthiness, trust is a subjective set of beliefs that relates to other people, and implies the view that the other party has a relationship of trust [10]. Gillespie [11] identifies two dominant categories that determine trust in work contexts: reliance on knowledge, skills, abilities, including delegating and giving autonomy, and openness to sharing sensitive personal information at work, with the other party. The motives and character of the other party, beliefs, predictions or assurance about the probable future behavior of the other party form the basis for helping to generate an initial decision on the other party’s reliability based on available evidence, identifying the following dimensions of reliability: ability (skill group, competence and characteristics, which enable the individual to have influence in a particular area), goodwill (perception of the positive orientation of the person giving trust, including the expression of genuine care and protection) and integrity (perception that the person trusted is based on honesty and fairness); the propensity to believe will also influence their decision to trust [12]. The behavioral aspect of trust observation is based on the assumption of the existence of risks in communications in which trust is established. Trust, according to this view, is also a willingness to take risks. The level of trust also depends on the level of perceived risk in a particular situation. If the level of trust exceeds the level of the perceived risk threshold, then the person giving trust will participate in the communication and the risk-taking relationship. If the level of perceived risk is higher than the level of trust, then they will not participate in creating a relationship. The model shows the importance of a context in which there is uncertainty and risk. Trust increases in situations in which a positive outcome occurs after taking a risk in communication. What can all influence trust-based behavior? Mayer and coworkers claim that these are control systems, perception of risk in situations, then power relations, relations in social networks and its implications. It is possible to distinguish four causally related constructs that form the basis of trust: trust, reliability of belief, propensity to believe, and believing behavior.
3 Trust and Open Innovation in Organizations Why is creating open innovation a problem? One of the reasons is that employees are not sufficiently integrated into the processes, and providing them with more energy than the minimum necessary for work is not a recognized need. In conditions in which mutual relations based on trust will reduce the degree of uncertainty, it is possible to establish relations that would support innovation, and in which success would be an imperative and a goal. Innovative organizations create and implement new ideas and nurture a culture of innovation, which implies a special relationship with people, the bearers of new values.
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In a meta-analysis of 132 independent samples, a connection was established between trust and willingness to take risks in performing work, such as performing work tasks. Trust has been shown to be a significant moderator of behavior, so behavioral outcomes change when they are influenced by trust. Subjective reasons for establishing trust are personal experiences, understandings, togetherness, expectations, values, and goals [12]. In conditions of uncertainty, such as the current situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertain situations are reflected in the fact that it is not possible, even with a given probability (such as risk conditions) to determine the outcome, its consequences and price. Also, in unstable environmental conditions and unstable markets, the role of open innovation has increased significantly. In the study by Shamah and Elsawaby, which perceived the role of trust in creating open innovation, the results indicated the importance of trust as a key element that should be implemented to increase mutual understanding and enable the flow of information and knowledge between different parties [13]. Sheppard and Sherman model of trust development [14] considers the emergence of trust depending on the specifics of the social context in which communication takes place. Institutional mechanisms in organizations serve to encourage reliable behavior or to reduce opportunities for unreliable behavior. The mechanisms needed to establish trust are partly related to the existence of negative consequences if the behavior changes. The essence is in the concept of community of people who, when they act together, can influence the improvement of their relationship. Developing trust in the organization implies knowledge of key information about the other party, which is actively involved and revealed through communication. Also, another research in Spain, based on qualitative analysis, has shown that building trust contributes to the innovative performance of local businesses [15]. Open innovation processes are complex and consist of several different phases. The search for innovation opportunities and potentials is a complex organizational process in which all stakeholders participate and in which the outcomes are clearly indicated and presented to stakeholders.
4 Conclusion Business success in an innovative economy includes a number of indicators of work behavior, organization and management that must act in a harmonized manner and according to a common goal. Innovative processes cannot be established by themselves, they must be an integral part of business policies and procedures in which employees and their intellectual and social capital are directed towards common, well-structured goals and guided in a way that creates mutual trust and conditions for innovative climate in to which innovation is the basis of progress. New business relations between organizations require the development of human capital, the most important of which are independence, communication and the ability to build and maintain strong relations between employees. Information and communication technology is embedded in a large number of interpersonal interactions and business transactions, and people have become more technologically dependent than ever before. The problem of organizations relates to the ability to predict the future needs of both employees and users of services or products. Such requirements for employees and
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organizations include training of both employees and organizations for open innovation. The use of high technologies in the generation of products and services requires permanent investment in equipment, but above all in the development of employees. The key question that arises is how will the business environment function, which would have innovation as an imperative? One of the many answers will surely refer to the role of trust in the open innovation process. The practical implications of scientific knowledge about the influences of the trust process on employee behavior are reflected in the possibilities for improving organizational performance and increasing the predictability of employee work behavior.
References 1. Durst, S., Ståhle, P.: Success factors of open innovation - a literature review. Int. J. Bus. Res. Manag. 4(4), 111–132 (2013) 2. Chesbrough, H.: The era of open innovation. MIT Sloan Manag. Rev. 44(3), 35–41 (2003) 3. Chesbrough, H.: Managing open innovation. Res. Technol. Manag. 47(1), 23–26 (2004) 4. Dahlander, L., Gann, D.M.: How open is innovation? Res. Policy 39, 699–709 (2010) 5. McLaughlin, S.: Identifying the barriers to collaborative innovation in a research and development organization: A case study. In: 7th International Forum on Knowledge Asset Dynamics (IFKAD) and Knowledge Cities World Summit (KCWS), 13–15 June, Matera, Italy (2012) 6. West, J., Vanhaverbeke, W., Chesbrough, H.: Open innovation: a research agenda. In: Chesbrough, H., Vanhaverbeke, W., West, J. (eds.) Open Innovation: Researching a New Paradigm, pp. 285–307. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2006) 7. Nooteboom, B.: The trust process. In: Nooteboom, B., Six, F. (eds.) The Trust Process in Organizations: Empirical Studies of the Determinants and the Process of Trust Development. Edward Elgar Publishing Inc. (2003) 8. Pagden, A.: The destruction of trust and its economic consequences in the case of eighteenthcentury Naples’. In: Gambetta, D. (ed.) Trust, the Making and Breaking of Cooperative Relations, pp. 127–141. Blackwell, Oxford (1988) 9. Schiff, M.: Labor mobility, trade and social capital. Rev. Int. Econ. 12(4), 630–642 (2004) 10. Mayer, R.C., Davis, J.H., Schoorman, F.D.: An integrative model of organizational trust. Acad. Manag. Rev. 20(3), 709–734 (1995) 11. Gillespie, N.: Measuring trust in work relationships: the behavioral trust inventory. In: Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management Conference, Seattle, Washington State (2003) 12. Colquitt, J., Scott, B., LePine, J.: Trust, trustworthiness, and trust propensity: a meta-analytic test of their unique relationships with risk taking and job performance. J. Appl. Psychol. 92(4), 909–927 (2007) 13. Shamah, R., Elsawaby, S.: Trust as a nucleus key for open innovation. J. Bus. Retail Manag. Res. 9(1), 110–127 (2014) 14. Sheppard, B., Sherman, D.: The grammars of trust: a model and general implications. Acad. Manag. Rev. 23(3), 422–437 (1998) 15. Porto, I., Otegi, J.R., Zabala-Iturriagagoitia, J.M.: Trust builders as open innovation intermediaries. Manag. Policy Pract. 18(2), 145–163 (2013)
The Power of Media Message in Advertising of Medical Preparations (B) Iva Šidanin
and Milica Njegovan
Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. The presence of topics on health, health system, health policy and public health messages in the mass media has been on the rise. This has been accompanied by an increase in advertising of medical preparations and dietary products. The research conducted on a sample of 150 respondents aimed to determine the trust of research participants in media messages about medical preparations, with special reference to their attitude towards advertising of dietary supplements and their possible intention to buy and use those products, being encouraged by media advertising. The research showed that almost four fifths of respondents in the research were informed about health topics through the media and the same percentage of them was informed through television and social networking sites. Although the majority of respondents did not use the advertised dietary products, research showed that they were well informed about the attractive advertisements of these medical preparations. Furthermore, the participants were divided over their trust in those media advertised products. Keywords: Media · Health · Advertising · Medical preparations
1 Introduction Health and the right to health is one of the most important areas of human rights as well as one of the most important issues in the life of every human being. Finding information through the media has become an increasingly common way of obtaining various information about health, health policy, preventive healthcare and treatment. Many health problems are no longer just a matter of the individual or his/her immediate environment, but they have become social issues as well. In addition, the social context can affect health directly or indirectly. Mass media programs dedicate a significant part of their time to informing about various aspects of health, and they have become important actors in the shaping of the public discourse on health [1]. The mass media have significant technical and human resources to send positive health messages, and they have been using that potential more often and more sophisticatedly. Health promotion through media can be classified as a ‘public service’ despite its relatively low (cost) effectiveness. The World Health Organization [2] defines health promotion as the process of enabling people to take control of their own health in order to improve and enhance © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 213–220, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_29
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it, as well as of the conditions they live in. Health promotion includes: healthy upbringing, education about health, information on health, as well as a set of activities targeted at a group of people or individuals with the aim of establishing a healthier environment in their community, cities, and schools [3]. This paper investigates the consumers’ attitudes and opinions on the effects of mass communication in health promotion. The aim was to determine the trust of the research participants in the messages conveyed by media on various medical preparations, especially about their attitude towards the advertising of dietary products and possible intention to use them. Quantitative research was conducted on a sample of 150 respondents.
2 Media Health Promotion Health communication, as part of communicative practice, includes various strategies of mediating symbolic messages and meanings in the field of medical theory, research and practice [4] of advertising medical services and various preparations. This influences and motivates individual and social decision-making in order to improve physical and mental health, prevent illness, injury and disability. Although there are many other sources of information related to health, radio, television and the press play a significant role in health communication, either in traditional form or through multimedia platforms. Promotion of health and a healthy lifestyle is achieved by advertising a large number of medicinal and quasi-medicinal products. The intention of media promotion of such products is to persuade both potential and existing customers to make a purchase decision by using a convincing message about the product in the advertisement. However, the law specifies the duration of advertisement as well as the categories of products that can be advertised. Moreover, the promotion of medicines and medical preparations always includes a warning at the end of each advertisement that says: Read the instructions carefully before use. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the indications, precautions, protection and side effects of the medicine. According to the Rulebook on the manner of advertising a medicine or a medical device [5], some medicines can be advertised, and those are those that are issued without a prescription. Dietary products also fall into this category. Advertisements for overthe-counter drugs should contain clear information that the product being advertised is a medicine, that is, a medical device, its name, brief description, method of application and mandatory warning, while each advertisement also contains an adequate slogan thanks to which it differs from other, similar products. For example, one of the most famous advertisements in the domestic media is the advertisement for cough syrup Herbiko. It’s slogan – Healthy as Herbiko! – is engraved in the memory of every person who hears and sees it. Moreover, there are certain limitations in the process of media promotion of dietary products. When advertising, the public must not be misled by the impression that such products will compensate for all the shortcomings of poor nutrition or completely improve the functioning of the organism. Dietary supplements are not a substitute for healthy food, which is also indicated by the fact that promotion of extreme diets is not recommended as they can lead to various health problems. Consumption of a certain
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medicine does not always result in healing, and therefore the public must not be deceived and convinced in the omnipotence of the advertised medicine. In addition, it is also not allowed to state that a certain medicine or preparation is better than a similar competing product. Various studies have been devoted to this topic. Television and social networks are the media through which information related to dietary products is most often obtained. This has been confirmed by previous research. Efetovi´c [6], for example, states that the products advertised in a good TV campaign achieved the highest sale depending on the television. Polish researchers Kolano and Dudek [7] have discovered that TV commercials have significant effect on the choice of dietary products to be used (primarily products such as: preparations for strengthening hair, skin, nails). According to Anti´c [8], the most common source of information about dietary products among younger population is the Internet (40%), and the main reason for using such products is weight loss (37.1%). The results of the research conducted for the purposes of this paper indicate that the attractive presentation of dietary supplements through advertising media was perceived as a company’s desire to achieve a single goal – to make a profit, but it did not abuse the trust of its users. This is also confirmed by Szpringer et al. [9], who discovered that the choice of medical preparations and dietary supplements depended greatly on their advertisements, despite the fact that respondents were aware that the information in advertising messages was not always reliable. According to researchers SchlegelZawadzka and Barteczko [10], respondents learned about dietary preparations primarily from conversations with people who have nothing to do with medical science (39.8%), and then through television commercials (36.9%). Media activity, in addition to its informative role, can also have a misinformative intention. Namely, given that the amount of information is growing at an unprecedented rate, the amount of false and potentially harmful information is also growing. Misinformation, caused either by fake information or misinterpretation of health facts, can have significant consequences such as causing panic, creating dissatisfaction with health policy makers, developing distrust in the media, and casting long-lasting doubt in their credibility. Thus, in terms of media coverage of health problems, we often encounter tabloid reporting of unverified and uncensored information about “new medical breakthroughs” and “new miracle cure”, appropriate treatments for “unusual diseases”, promising weight loss products or advertisements for general condition of unclear composition, but with a clear slogan – Think healthy!. There are many such and similar examples. The tabloid matrix is organized according to the laws of spectacle and persuasion. Persuasion, as an activity or process in which a communicator tries to provoke a change in the beliefs, attitudes or behaviors of others by conveying a message, is particularly effective in a context where the person we are trying to persuade has some degree of free choice (for example, choosing a doctor or medical institution, a dietary product or other medical preparation). Therefore, the persuasive role of media in the promotion of various dietary preparations and medical supplements is the subject of analysis in this paper.
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3 Research 3.1 Research Sample and Methodology The research sample consisted of 150 respondents from Vojvodina who were randomly selected, of which 69.4% were females and 30.6% were males. Regarding the age of the research participants, the most represented were persons aged 18 to 29 years – 54.1%, then from 30 to 44 years – 24.7%, and between 45 and 60 years – 14.1%. Persons older than 60 years accounted for only 7.1% of the total number of respondents. Among the participants in the research, most were highly educated persons, i.e. those who completed four-year studies (38.8%), followed by those who completed only secondary school (25.9%). 16.5% of research participants completed master studies, and 14.1% completed higher education. Only 4.7% of respondents had a doctorate. More than half of the respondents (54.1%) were employed persons, while 22.4% of them had the status of students or unemployed persons – 16.5%. This was a quantitative research and the data were collected from surveys. The research was conducted using an electronic questionnaire created in Google Forms. The questionnaire contained a total of 19 questions, divided into four groups, with offered modalities of answers, including socio-demographic characteristics of the research participants (first group of questions). The second group of questions referred to the informing about health through the media, the third to the attitude towards television shows about health, and the fourth to the attitude of the respondents towards dietary products and the way of their media presentation. The research was conducted in the period from December 25, 2019 to January 17, 2020. 3.2 Research Results Health Information in the Media. As health is one of the most important areas of life, and the quickest way of getting the desired information is through media, it is not surprising that almost four fifths of the research respondents were informed about health topics through media. However, there were some variations regarding the frequency of gaining information in this way: 44.7% of respondents rarely informed themselves about health through media, 32.9% of them were often informed through media, and just 2.4% were regularly informed through media. This way, it can be concluded that 20% of the research participants were not informed about these topics through media. Research participants who were informed about health topics through the media, most often did so by watching television shows or specialized TV channels – 44.7% or through social networks – 43.5%. Significantly lower percentage of respondents – 21.2% were informed about these topics by reading newspapers and specialized magazines, or by searching specialized websites – 20%. Watching selected YouTube channels was a source of information for 18.8%, and blogs and forums for 16.5% of respondents. Half of the research participants (52.9%) were indeterminate (“neither trusted nor did not trust”) when it came to assessing the degree of trust in health information generally placed through the media. Only 1.2% of research participants had complete confidence in the information conveyed in this way. Other respondents only partially believed (22.4%) or had partial distrust (16.5%), while 7.1% of respondents expressed complete distrust.
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According to 44.74% of research participants, the expertise of the interlocutors contributed the most to gaining trust in the conveyed health information, while the relevance of the topic (51.32%), approach to the topic and the way of its presentation (50%), as well as knowledge about it whether it is a paid advertisement/sponsorship or not (38.16%), the credibility of the host, if it is a television or radio show (34.21%), and trust in a particular medium through which information is transmitted (32.89%) were assessments that also contributed to gaining confidence in the placed health information. Healthy diet (71.8%) and topics related to personal health problems or problems of family members of the respondents (61.2%) were the ones that attracted the most attention. Questions in the field of general medicine (49.4%) and fitness (47.1%) were of interest to slightly less than half of the total number of respondents (see Fig. 1).
cosmec surgery denstry Pharmaceucal products fitness general medicine
2.4% 18.8% 20% 47.1% 49.4%
health issues that bother me or my… healthy diet
61.2% 71.8%
Fig. 1. Respondents’ interest in health topics.
Attitude Towards Television Shows About Health. A quarter of the research participants (24.7%) have never watched a show about health, 40% of them have watched those shows occasionally, and 35.3% of them have rarely watched such shows. The most common situations in which the respondents would decide to watch those shows were: topic of the show or guests (55.3%), when a respondent or a member of a family has a health problem that is discussed in the show (44.7%), and in case the respondents want to gain knowledge about the topic discussed in the show (31.8%). RTS clinic, a show broadcast on the RTS1 channel, was perceived as a favorite show about health (34.1%), followed by the shows Healthy with dr Katarina Bajec on TV Nova S (10.6%) and the show At the right place, which is broadcast on TV Prva (9.4%). However, almost half of the survey participants (45.9%) did not mention any health show as a favorite. Favorite health shows are most often watched in the premiere broadcast period (21.2%), and then delayed, via YouTube channels (14.1%), or via social networks (11.8%; see Fig. 2).
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in the premiere term of the broadcast 21.2%
delayed, on the YouTube channel 14.1%
Fig. 2. The way respondents’ follow their favorite health show.
Attitude Towards Dietary Products and Their Presence in the Media. The largest number of research participants (69.4%) have never used dietary products. At least one or more such products were used by 18.8% of respondents, and 11.8% of respondents have been in favor of just one product. The respondents who used dietary products were most often informed about them through friends’ recommendations (24.7%), TV commercials (17.6%) or through social networking sites (15.3%). HerbaLife was the most frequently cited dietary product, about which the largest percentage of research participants was informed through the media. This information is not surprising given the fact that the HerbaLife company has been advertising heavily and successfully for a few years through all sources of mass communication. In addition to this company, there are other companies that have been advertising many dietary supplements, which is why we found it interesting to learn about general opinion of the research respondents on the advertising of those products. The largest percentage of respondents completely agreed (32.89%), or only partially agreed (44.74%) with the statement that dietary products are “well marketed with the aim of selling well”. However, 55.26% of research participants agreed with the assessment that such products were “were attractively presented to draw the attention, but do not inspire trust”. Indecisiveness was noticeable with those respondents who were of the opinion that dietary supplements were “presented only as information that does not attract attention” (40.79%), then that they will “buy the product if it was recommended by a doctor in the ad” (35.53%), as well as according to the assessment that they are “presented with all the necessary information about the product and are trustworthy” (38.16%). The research participants disagreed with the statement that “publishing photos before and after product use affects decision on buying the product” (36.84%), or the statement that “advertising further motivates me to buy” and “I believe in advertising and sometimes buy products which are advertised” (38.16%). In contrast, 46.05% of respondents disagreed completely with the statement “I believe that kilograms are lost after the use of advertised products”, and 31.58% of respondents did not agree with it. “If the product is recommended by a public figure I love, I will buy it” was the statement that 39.47% disagreed with, that is, 35.53% of research participants did not agree with this statement, and 36.84% disagreed with the statement “I believe more in those advertisements in which public figures appear” that is, 35.53% of respondents did not agree with it. This information can be valuable
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for advertisers because the findings indicate that the inclusion of public figures in the marketing campaign will not contribute to gaining trust in the product itself, regardless of whether the person is respected and loved by the public or not. When it comes to the most frequently advertised dietary products, which are weight loss products, the research showed that the largest percentage of research participants, 72.37%, completely or partially agreed with the statement that “weight loss products are a scam”.
4 Conclusion Respectable media communication theorist Wilbur Schramm [11] warns us that the effects of media messages can be indirect, as a consequence of long-term reference to some form of media persuasion, and direct, as a consequence of a specific message sent to the recipient through media at a moment that the recipient found particularly suitable. Therefore, the question arises as to how the media message will be received by the audience. The results of the research showed that there is no complete trust in media advertised medical products (dietary preparations), which is directly related to the factors that affect the acquisition of trust: the content of the message and its presentation, the situation in which the message is received, the personality of the recipient of the message, etc. At the same time, the media are an important means of informing about various topics in the field of health, primarily about healthy eating and health problems close to respondents or their family members, and statements are made that the amount of such information in Serbian media is insufficient, despite public interest. In conclusion, research findings can be a good indicator for further scientific research in this area (with a focus on determining the reasons for distrust in advertised media/dietary preparations), as well as for marketing managers, because they indicate the useful insights for future advertising campaign of medical preparations.
References 1. Ratkovi´c Njegovan, B., Šolak, Z.: Media, health and health policy. J. Assoc. Serb. Neurol. 21(3–4), 42–55 (2013) 2. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/. Accessed 21 May 2020 3. Radovanovi´c, D., Radovanovi´c, G., Anti´c, Lj.: Health promotion - a comprehensive approach to improving the health of individuals and the population. PONS Med. J. 7(4), 161–166 (2010) 4. Cline, R.: Everyday interpersonal communication and health. In: Thompson, T., Dorsey, A., Miller, K., Parrott, R. (eds.) Handbook of Health Communication, pp. 285–318. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc., Mahwah, NJ (2003) 5. Rulebook on the manner of advertising a medicine or a medical device. Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, no. 79/2010 and 102/2018 – other rulebook. https://www.paragraf.rs/pro pisi/pravilnik_o_nacinu_oglasavanja_leka_odnosno_medicinskog_sredstva.html. Accessed 10 May 2020 6. Eftovi´c, I.: Nutraceuticals in private pharmacies. In: Fourth Congress of Food Supplements with International Participation: Evidence Based Supplementation – Book of Abstracts, pp. 44–45. Sports Medicine Association of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia (2013)
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7. Kolano, M., Dudek, K.: The impact of advertisement on applying dietary supplements. In: National Scientific Conference “Science Through the Eye of the Young Scientist” II edition – The Book of Articles, pp. 44–52. Promovendi, Lodz, Poland (2018) 8. Anti´c, D.: Use of dietary supplements among young people. In: Fourth Congress of Food Supplements with International Participation: Evidence Based Supplementation – The Book of Abstracts, pp. 50–51. Sports Medicine Association of Serbia. Belgrade, Serbia (2013) 9. Szpringer, M., Ol˛edzka, M., Kosecka, J., et al.: The use of over-the-counter drugs and dietary ´ etokrzyskie Province. Gen. Med. Health Sci. 21(2), 163– supplements by adults from the Swi˛ 167 (2015) 10. Schlegel-Zawadzka, M., Barteczko, M.: Evaluation of the use of natural supplements in healthy purposes by adults. Food Sci. Technol. Qual. 4(65), 375–387 (2009) 11. Schramm, W.: How communication works. In: Schramm, W. (ed.) The Process and Effects of Communication, pp. 3–26. University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois (1954)
Foreign Direct Investment and Investment Environment: A Systematic Approach Vladimir Djakovic1(B) , Mirjana Sujic Stamenic1 , Nebojsa Ralevic1 , Slobodan Radisic1 , and Jozef Kabok2 1 Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 6,
21000 Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected] 2 Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education and Scientific Research, Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 16, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Abstract. Globalization as phenomenon has intensified the formation of complex adaptive approaches to international business operations, which has resulted in significant organizational activities that include foreign direct investment (FDI), as one of the most important components of contemporary business models. The subject of the research is the analysis of FDI, whose growth can be statistically insignificant or even negative, while FDI in interaction with the growth of investment activities, can have a positive effect on the growth and development of the observed enterprises. The research objective is to determine the performance of FDI with special reference to the situation and opportunities in the investment environment. The research methodology involves the use of the systematic approach and the correlation analyses. The results of the research are significant both to the academic and professional community and indicate that the consequences of the impact of FDI are fuzzy given the dynamic conditions of the investment environment. Keywords: Foreign direct investment · Investment environment · Systematic approach · Dynamic business conditions · Enterprise
1 Introduction The question of the significance of foreign direct investment (FDI) arises especially in the period of crisis. International business operations are intensified under the process of globalization and thus induce the structural and organizational changes aimed towards preserving the acquired level of effectiveness and efficiency. Since the outbreak of the global economic crisis, it is challenging to obtain and maintain the balance between expected and actual investment returns [1]. The process of implementation of reforms is significant for further sustainable growth and development with special accent to the specificities of the developing countries [2].
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 221–226, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_30
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Making an optimal investment decision is the necessity in the contemporary business conditions [3]. Increase of investment activities is the significant effect of FDI and it is essential for further enterprise growth and development. However, the investment environment determines the existing capacity of both enterprises and broader socioeconomic community to exploit the opportunities of attracting FDI. In the dynamic business conditions, which are characterized by extreme events occurrence, it is a special challenge to maintain the obtained level of FDI. Namely, the possibility of making optimal investment decision is severely diminished, which directly affect to the occurrence of defensive investment strategies. Consequently, the negative level of FDI is in most cases immanent. In the periods of crisis, the enterprises that have had high achieved level of the competitive advantage based on the international business operations, are having difficulties of using both domestic and foreign based resources, particularly while FDI support domestic investment activity [4]. The challenge is even greater if the following is observed: industrial production, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), inflation levels, employment rate, privatization processes, financial markets, etc. Almfraji and Almsafir [5] find a mostly positive causal relationship going from FDI to economic growth. The motivation of the research is to test the relation between foreign direct investment (FDI) and investment environment with direct or indirect empirical implications. The research results are derived from the author’s doctoral thesis [6]. The research is significant both to the academic and professional community and especially to the policy makers in the subject field.
2 Results and Discussion In order to perform the correlation analyses, the following is observed: number of privatizations, value of Libor, value of Euribor, number of employees and inflation. The analysis was performed on quarterly values. The correlation between FDI in Serbia and LIBOR (or EURIBOR) is significant while determining the overall market investment environment, especially regarding its spillover effect and direct positive effects. Testing for the stationarity of all variables in the sample is important because finding linear correlations between non-stationary time-series is inappropriate and can lead to spurious results. However, the validity of unit root test becomes very small if the number of observations is small. Hence, small samples do not require unit root testing.
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Table 1. Correlation in relation to the number of privatizations, Libor, Euribor (for the euro) number of employees and inflation. Privat. No. Privat. No. Pearson Correlation
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
Libor
Euribor
Employees
Inflation
.519*
.812**
.708**
.057
.019
.000
.000
.810 20
Value No. N
20
20
20
20
Libor Pearson Correlation
.519*
1
.816**
.570**
.073
Sig. (2-tailed)
.019
.000
.009
.758
Value No. N
20
20
20
20
20
Euribor Pearson Correlation
.812**
.816**
1
.758**
.285
Sig. (2-tailed)
.000
.000
.000
.224
Value No. N
20
20
20
20
20
Employees Pearson Correlation
.708**
.570**
.758**
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
.000
.009
.000
Value No. N
20
20
20
20
20
Inflation Pearson Correlation
.057
.073
.285
.255
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
.810
.758
.224
.279
Value No. N
20
20
20
20
.255 .279
20
*Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). **Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Source: the author’s calculations [6]
In Table 1 the data comprise the period from 01.01.2007 to 30.06.2011. Table 2. Correlation in relation to the number of privatizations, Libor, Euribor (for the euro) and number of employees. Privat. No. Privat. No. Pearson Correlation
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
Libor
Euribor
Employees
.498**
.435**
.451**
.002
.009
.007 35
Value No. N
35
35
35
Libor Pearson Correlation
.498**
1
−.043
.318
Sig. (2-tailed)
.002
.808
.063
Value No. N
35
35
35
35
Euribor Pearson Correlation
.435**
−.043
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
.009
.808
Value No. N
35
35
35
35
Employees Pearson Correlation
.451**
.318
.446**
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
.007
.063
.007
Value No. N
35
35
35
**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Source: the author’s calculations [6]
.446** .007
35
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For the period from 31.12.2002 to 30.06.2011. (Table 2) there were no data on inflation, so the analysis was done without this variable. Hence, a correlation analysis was made between the number of privatizations of Euribor and Libor on a quarterly basis. The number of privatizations during three months was taken for privatizations. The year is divided into four parts, three months each, and the values of Libor and Euribor are the same expressed on a quarterly basis. Also, the correlation test between the number of privatizations and the change in the value of Euribor and Libor is done on a quarterly basis. In places where two stars are marked, the correlation is significant, and the number next to Sig. (2-tailed) indicates with what level of significance. Table 3. Correlation in relation to the number of privatizations, quarterly Euribor and quarterly Libor. Privat. No. Privat. No. Pearson Correlation
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
Euribor 3m
Libor 3m
.498**
.435**
.002
.009 35
Value No. N
35
35
Euribor 3m Pearson Correlation
.498**
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
.002
Value No. N
35
35
35
Libor 3m Pearson Correlation
.435**
−.043
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
.009
.808
Value No. N
35
35
−.043
.808
35
**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Source: the author’s calculations [6]
The numbers marked underlined (Table 3) show that the correlation exists, it is not strong, but it is calculated. The maximum correlation is 1 and the minimum is 0. It is obtained around 0.435, which means that it is not a strong correlation. There is a similar correlation between the number of privatizations and the ratio of Euribor and Libor. At Euribor it is somewhat stronger, but it is not more significant than it is at Libor. The overview of total FDI (tested period: 2001–2011, see Fig. 1) by years indicates that in 2001 there were the least FDI, while in 2006 there were the most FDI. Until 2006, FDI was on the rise, while after 2006 it was on the decline. Figure 1 shows the changes in value by years from 2001 to 2013 for FDI (in millions of Euros), tenders in total, auctions in total and the capital market in total. Based on the given figure, it can be seen that, in the period 2001 to 2004, there was a similar trend in the change of values for the analyzed parameters, while after 2004 the trend of total FDI is different compared to other parameters.
Foreign Direct Investment and Investment Environment
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In mil EUR
3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0
Tenders total sold / broken Aucons total sold / broken Capital Market total sold / broken
Fig. 1. Comparative overview of Foreign Direct Investment, tenders, auctions and capital markets in the Republic of Serbia. Source: the author’s calculations [6]
3 Concluding Remarks The results of the research point to the necessity of systematic approach to testing foreign direct investment (FDI) and investment environment. Dynamic business conditions significantly affect to the possibility of attracting FDI and the stability of the investment environment. Number of privatizations, value of Libor, value of Euribor, number of employees and inflation were tested and analyzed. Hence, while making an optimal investment decision, various factors must be considered, especially in developing countries. The results of the FDI analyses confirm its sensibility to the dynamic business conditions, that is, the extreme events occurrence, which is expressed in the decline of total FDI. Also, it is even more significant in the comparison with the performed enterprise privatization processes model, regardless being tenders, auctions or the capital market. The limits of the research are the lack of consistent historical data in the longer time period, the fact the results could be affected by the “small sample bias” and the lack of previous research studies in the subject field with special attention to the transitional and developing countries. The future research comprises further testing taking into account the fuzziness of the investment environment and its effects to the investment processes.
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References 1. Djakovic, V.Dj., Andjelic, G.B.: The possibilities of application of the parametric and nonparametric VaR daily returns estimation–regional perspective. Eng. Econ. 28(2), 127–134 (2017) 2. Radisic, S., Kabok, J., Djakovic, V., Kuzmanovic, B.: The programme budget model as a basis for measuring the performance of the public sector in transition economies. Manag.: J. Sustain. Bus. Manag. Solutions Emerg. Econ. 21(79), 69–78 (2016) 3. Ðakovi´c, V.Ð., Ralevi´c, N.M., Glišovi´c, N.S.: Dynamic optimization of the investment portfolio in the contemporary business conditions. In: Proceedings/XVII International Scientific Conference on Industrial Systems IS 2017, pp. 392–395. Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department for Industrial Engineering and Management, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia (2017) 4. Borensztein, E., De Gregorio, J., Lee, J.W.: How does foreign direct investment affect economic growth? J. Int. Econ. 45(1), 115–135 (1998) 5. Almfraji, M., Almsafir, M.: Foreign direct investment and economic growth literature review from 1994 to 2012. Proc. - Soc. Behav. Sci. 129, 206–213 (2014) 6. Sujic Stamenic, M.: The impact of investments on enterprise transformation and business activities. Ph.D. thesis. Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia (2020)
Foreign Direct Investments in Serbian Power Sector: A Discussion on Investments and Impact on Economic Growth Aleksandra Pavlovi´c(B) , Milica Njegovan , Andrea Ivaniševi´c , Mladen Radiši´c , and Alpar Lošonc Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. In modern business environment, Serbian energy sector faces a number of challenges that need to be solved in order to ensure the future efficient, effective and sustainable provision of energy services to the population and economy. The power sector is essential for a country’s economy because it directs the entire energy sector to a sustainable and cleaner path. Growing pressures for energy security, reducing energy costs and increasing energy efficiency bring many problems and obstacles, and foreign direct investments (FDI) contribute to overcome these problems, especially in the emerging countries, such as Serbia. Currently, Serbian energy sector is in development phase and in the past few years Serbia has passed through strategic documents and laws that open the possibility of faster development of this crucial sector. There is a large number of scientific papers examining the impact of FDI on other economic sectors, but a scarce number of papers examining their impact on the energy sector. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to discuss Serbian case by analyzing the current state of Serbian FDI inflows by sectors and conducting Pearson’s multiple bivariate analysis for post crisis period, to study the correlation between selected Serbian power sector variables (energy FDI inflows, electricity consumption and CO2 emissions) and economic growth measured by Gross domestic product (GDP). Keywords: FDI · Power sector · Economic growth · Pearson correlation
1 Introduction FDI are considered the most acceptable form of engaging private foreign savings in the process of financing economic growth. Therefore, in modern business conditions, countries, and especially those in development, including the Republic of Serbia, see the key to economic growth in FDIs. Investments are machines of economic growth because, whether they are domestic or foreign investments, they are always the driving force of economic growth of a country.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 227–235, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_31
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It is indisputable that the energy sector is of great importance for the entire economy of a country, as well as for the society. It is necessary for the energy sector to be wellorganized, modern and efficient, in order to enable the economic progress of a country. The very nature of the energy sector, which is a very investment-intensive branch of the economy, requires the attraction of foreign investments. Moreover, the overall state of the economy is highly affected by the efficiency of the energy sector [1]. Since increasing energy efficiency usually initially requires large investments, it is necessary to support investments through various incentives and regulations, in order to encourage the introduction of energy efficiency measures [2]. On the other hand, FDI in the energy sector can have a significant impact on human health, environment, safety, as well as on the national sovereignty over natural resources [3]. Thus, it is important to find a balanced national policy. According to Parežanin [4], even though there has been a growing trend of FDI in renewable energy sources, investments in the energy sector of The Republic of Serbia remain relatively modest. Serbian Law on Energy stipulates that renewable energy sources are non-fossil energy sources such as: watercourses, biomass, wind, sun, biogas, landfill gas, gas from sewage treatment plants and geothermal energy sources. The status of a privileged producer entails various incentives, such as the obligatory purchase of electricity (from a privileged producer), regulated purchase prices, balanced liability, etc. [5]. This paper is structured as follows: unit 2 – provides an overview of previous research on the relationship between FDI and economic growth in general, as well as the relationship between FDI and economic growth through the energy sector and the degree of environmental pollution. Unit 3 – gives a short overview of FDI inflows into the Serbian energy sector and the state of the energy sector in general. Unit 4 – deals with data sources, methodology and research results. In the last part of the paper, unit 5, a conclusion is given. The aim of this paper is to discuss the current state of FDI in the Republic of Serbia by economic sectors with special reference to the energy sector, as well as to analyze the impact of Serbian energy sector variables (energy FDI inflows, electricity consumption and CO2 emissions) on economic growth in the Republic of Serbia using the Pearson correlation coefficient (R) in the post-crisis period.
2 Literature Review A number of foreign researchers have addressed the issue of the impact of FDI in the energy sector on the economic growth of the receiving country, as well as on environmental pollution. Khatun and Ahamad [6] could not find the direct causal relationship between energy sector FDI and economic growth, both long-term and short-term, using Granger causality tests in the case of Bangladesh. They revealed in the research that there is strong positive and one-way short-term causality going from FDI to energy use and from energy to GDP growth. However, they stated that, given the given the lack of technological development of the energy sector, FDI should be encouraged in this sector, which is ultimately necessary for economic growth.
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Osano and Koine [7] analyzed the role of foreign direct investment in technology transfer and economic growth in Kenya, focusing on the energy sector in Nairobi. The study found that there is a correlation between FDI variables (infrastructure, trade facilitation, knowledge management) and technology transfer and economic growth. Moreover, the study revealed that foreign investments in the energy sector have contributed to the development of new technologies through the transfer of knowledge about new ways of production, development and research. In addition, competition has increased, which has contributed to the efficiency of the industry. Latief and Lefen [8] researched the causality between the FDI in the power and energy sector, the energy consumption, and the economic growth of Pakistan for the period 1990–2017. The results revealed that there is a positive bi-directional short-run causal relationship between economic growth and energy consumption, concluding that “declining trend in energy consumption could be harmful to economic growth and vice versa”. The study also showed that GDP do not have a causal relationship with FDI. Similarly, Abdullah [9] analyzed the correlation between FDI, electricity consumption and economic growth in India and Pakistan. The research results showed that for Pakistan, FDI and economic growth cause electricity consumption in the long run, that is, causal links go from FDI and economic growth to electric power consumption. In the case of India, a bi-lateral relation between FDI and economic growth was determined, and also a causal link that goes from electricity consumption and economic growth to FDI. Ibrahiem [10] concluded that both FDI and renewable electricity consumption have a long-term positive effect on economic growth in Egypt. The study confirmed the existence of correlation between economic growth, renewable electricity consumption and foreign direct investment. When it comes to the debate whether FDI flows result in pollution havens or pollution halos, opinions are still divided. Environmentalists argue that FDIs have a negative impact on the environment; in contrast to that, neoliberal economists claim that multinational corporations contribute to sustainable development by bringing cleaner and more advanced technology to the host countries. Nestorovi´c [11] states that the example of China can show that FDI in the energy sector have increased energy efficiency and reduced emissions, because they are primarily focused on the production and use of advanced technologies. Pao and Tsai [12] found in their research that there is a strong two-way causal link between CO2 emissions and FDI in BRIC countries. The research results also showed that energy consumption affects the emissions. These authors concluded that developing countries should take into account the protection of the environment and examine the conditions for foreign investments and in that sense work on the transfer of technology in order to prevent environmental pollution.
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3 An Overview of Serbian Energy FDI Inflows and Energy Sector Serbia is an energy-intensive country – energy is not used efficiently. Today, Serbia is an energy-dependent country but with the potential for full energy independence. Total primary energy consumption in 2010 was 15,531 Mtoe. Serbia’s energy-import dependence in 2010 was 33.6%. During 2010, 54% of crude oil, 26% of natural gas and 12% of coal were mostly imported [16]. Energy sector is essential in the development process of Serbian economy and using energy from renewable sources should be the main goal in order to reduce environmental pollution. Renewable energy sector in Serbia is in the establishment process. Utilization of renewable energy sources (RES) is limited to hydropower plants and non-commercial use of biomass and geothermal energy. Hydropower is the only RES utilized for electricity generation and registered in the official Serbian Energy Balance [17]. As shown in Table 1, manufacturing sector received the highest FDI inflows among all sectors, e6727 million, and the increase was relatively stable. Further, high FDI inflows were also recorded in financial services and wholesale & retail sector. In financial services sector significant decrease was recorded in 2013 (e142 million) and 2019 (e156 million) and in wholesale & retail sector from 2011 to 2012 (from e1019 million to e194 million). The sectors with the lowest investment inflows are health & social services, information, energy and real estate sector. In health & social services sector FDI inflows are the lowest. Serbia has low inflows of foreign investments in energy sector (only e205 million in total), with notable increase in 2019 (e84 million). Table 1. FDI inflows by sector in Serbia, e Million. Sector/Year
2010 2011 2012
Manufact.
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
2019 Total
329
631
521
679
535
721
750
634
930
997
6727
Financ. Serv. 433
840
291
142
358
484
447
368
425
156
3944
Energy
3
4
9
10
13
15
52
9
84
205
6
Wholes./Ret. 133
1019 194
300
225
209
138
312
324
316
3170
Mining
478
219
180
26
22
−33
103
415
128
1742
92
19
67
163
265
273
407
472
945
2738
−56
204
Construction 35 Real estate
−20
72
22
25
58
125
222
161
123
732
Information
−8
126
−480 29
47
108
121
198
−204 202
139
Health/Soc.
0
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
−0.1 −0.2 2
0.4
0
2.5
Transp./Stor.
21
66
17
71
−9
69
654
594
1574
Data source: National bank of Serbia.
69
22
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With regard to the sector, according to IEA data available, the highest CO2 emissions were made by electricity and heat producers (even 13603 MT CO2 in 2017.), transport (even 8040 MT CO2 in 2017.) and industry (even 6408 MT CO2 in 2017.).
4 Methodology, Data and Results This paper analyzes the impact of FDI on the economic growth of Serbia in the postcrisis period 2008–2019. All necessary data were taken from the official website of World Bank, International Energy Agency (IEA) and National bank of Serbia. The linear relationship between selected Serbian power sector variables (energy FDI inflows, electricity consumption and CO2 emissions) and economic growth was examined. Pearson’s bivariate correlation was used for this purpose. Energy FDI inflows (ENFDI) are the inflows of FDI to the Serbian power sector. Data were taken from the official website of National bank of Serbia and shows electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply in million Euros. Since it’s not possible to separate this data into independent sectors, it will be used as a proxy for FDI inflows to the Serbian power sector (Source: National Bank of Serbia). Electricity consumption (ELCON) measures the production of power plants and combined heat and power plants less transmission, distribution, and transformation losses and own use by heat and power plants (IEA Statistics, 2014). It’s expressed per capita and used as a proxy for market potential in Serbian power market. Carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) means the release of greenhouse gases and/or their precursors into the atmosphere over a specified area and period of time (UN, 1992). CO2 emissions are expressed in metric tones per capita. Economic growth is expressed as Gross Domestic Product per capita (GDP) and it measures the sum of marketed goods and services produced within the national boundary, averaged across everyone who lives within this territory (OECD, 2014). Energy FDI inflows, electricity consumption per capita and CO2 emissions per capita were taken as independent variables, and economic growth expressed as GDP per capita was taken as a dependent variable. IBM SPSS Statistics software package was used to calculate Pearson coefficient (R). Before calculating the Pearson coefficient, the ratio of the analyzed variables is represented by the scattering matrix (Fig. 1). The following Fig. 1 shows the potential bivariate relationships between the analyzed variables. It can be observed that there are probably four positive linear correlations (ENFDI and ELCON, ENFDI and CO2, ENFDI and GDP, ELCON and CO2) and two negative linear correlations (ELCON and GDP, CO2 and GDP) of the observed variables.
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Fig. 1. Relationships between the observed variables (energy FDI inflows, electricity consumption per capita, CO2 emissions per capita and GDP per capita). Source: output of SPSS analysis, author’s interpretation.
The next step is to calculate the Pearson coefficient (R). The following Table 2 gives the output result of the performed SPSS data analysis.
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Table 2. Correlation between selected Serbian power sector variables and economic growth, in the post-crisis period 2008–2019.
ENFDI
Pearson Correlation (R)
ENFDI
ELCON
CO2
GDP
1
0.757*
0.195
0.412
0.030
0.643
0.236
Significance (p) ELCON
CO2
GDP
Number of years (N)
10
8
8
10
Pearson Correlation (R)
0.757*
1
0.355
−0.227
Significance (p)
0.030
0.314
0.588
Number of years (N)
8
10
10
8
Pearson Correlation (R)
0.195
0.355
1
−0.023
Significance (p)
0.643
0.314
Number of years (N)
8
10
10
8
Pearson Correlation (R)
0.412
−0.227
−0.023
1
Pearson Correlation (R)
1
0.757*
0.195
0.412
0.030
0.643
0.236
Significance (p)
0.957
*Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). Source: output of SPSS analysis, author’s interpretation.
Based on the obtained results for the observed period (2008–2019.), it can be concluded that there is a positive correlation between ENFDI and ELCON, due to the positive value of the correlation coefficient (R = 0.757). As 0.7 < 0.757 ≤ 0.9 this is a strong correlation. As p < 0.05 there is a statistically significant relationship between the observed variables. There is a positive correlation between ENFDI and CO2, due to the positive value of the correlation coefficient (R = 0.195). As 0.195 < 0.3 this is a very weak correlation. As p > 0.05 there is a statistically insignificant relationship between the observed variables. Due to the positive value of the correlation coefficient (R = 0.412), there is a positive correlation between ENFDI and GDP, but this correlation is weak since 0.3 < 0.412 < 0.5. As p > 0.05, this relationship is statistically insignificant. There is a positive correlation between ELCON and CO2 due to the positive value of the correlation coefficient (R = 0.355), but this correlation is also weak since 0.3 < 0.355 < 0.5 and statistically insignificant, since p > 0.05. Further, there is a negative correlation between ELCON and GDP, due to the negative value of the correlation coefficient (R = −0.227). As 0.227 < 0.3 this is a very weak correlation. As p > 0.05, this correlation is statistically insignificant. There is a negative correlation between CO2 and GDP, due to the negative value of the correlation coefficient (R = −0.023). As 0.023 < 0.3 this correlation is very weak and statistically insignificant, since p > 0.05.
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5 Conclusion Energy sources play an important role in economic development, especially in developing countries including Republic of Serbia. In general, power sector is essential in directing the energy sector to a sustainable and cleaner path. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between energy FDI inflows, electricity consumption, CO2 emissions and economic growth. For this purpose, Pearson’s bivariate correlation was used. The study confirms the presence of positive, strong and statistically significant relationship between energy FDI inflows and electricity consumption per capita. FDI in general causes economic growth, and economic growth causes electricity consumption, so attracting FDI is important for both sources (electricity and economic growth). Also, two more positive correlations were found, correlation between energy FDI inflows and CO2 emissions per capita and GDP per capita, but those correlations are weak and statistically insignificant. Negative weak statistically insignificant correlations were noted between electricity consumption per capita and GDP per capita, and CO2 emissions per capita and GDP per capita. Since economic growth causes electricity consumption, it also causes renewable electricity consumption, therefore the development of renewable electricity sources is of great importance for every country. The efforts onto renewable energy sources would become more visible if domestic companies would improve their behavior in the area of green energy usage. In Serbia and countries in the region there is generally a lack of scientific research in the area of FDI, therefore future researchers are suggested to devote more attention to FDI as well as to the relationship between FDI and economic growth.
References 1. Macura, A.: Green Growth Perspectives for Serbia analysis Belgrade Transparently Renewing Efficiency. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Belgrade (2017). https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/ belgrad/14038.pdf 2. Ðureta, B., Macura, A.: Financing energy efficiency improvements. http://eukonvent.org/wpcontent/uploads/2016/11/Poglavlje-15-Finansiranje-unapredjenja-energetske-efikasnosti. pdf. Accessed 14 July 2020 3. Karl, J.: FDI in the energy sector: recent trends and policy issues. In: Brabandere De, E., Gazzini, T. (eds.) Foreign Investment in the Energy Sector: Balancing Private and Public Interests, International Investment Law Series, vol. 2, pp. 9–28. Brill–Nijhoff, Leiden, Boston (2014) 4. Parežanin, M.: Foreign direct investments in the energy sector of the Republic of Serbia. Econ. Ideas Pract. 23, 85–95 (2016) 5. Energy Law (“Official Gazette of the RS”, no. 145/2014 and 95/2018 – other law) 6. Kathun, F., Ahamad, M.: Foreign direct investment in the energy and power sector in Bangladesh: implications for economic growth. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 52(12), 1369–1377 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.08.017 7. Osano, H.M., Koine, P.W.: Role of foreign direct investment on technology transfer and economic growth in Kenya: a case of the energy sector. J. Innov. Entrepreneurship 5, Article no. 31 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-016-0059-3 8. Latief, R., Lefen, L.: Foreign direct investment in the power and energy sector, energy consumption, and economic growth: empirical evidence from Pakistan. Sustainability 11(1), 192 (2019)
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9. Abdullah, A.: Electricity power consumption, foreign direct investment and economic growth. World J. Sci. Technol. Sustain. Dev. 10(1), 55–65 (2013) 10. Ibrahiem, D.M.: Renewable electricity consumption, foreign direct investment and economic growth in Egypt: an ARDL approach. Proc. Econ. Finan. 30, 313–323 (2015) 11. Nestorovi´c, O.: Foreign direct investments as a factor of sustainable development of the Serbian economy. Doctoral dissertation. Faculty of Economics, University of Kragujevac (2015) 12. Pao, H.-T., Tsai, C.-M.: Multivariate Granger causality between CO2 emissions, energy consumption, FDI (foreign direct investment) and GDP (gross domestic product): evidence from a panel of BRIC (Brazil, Russian Federation, India, and China) countries. Energy 36(1), 685–693 (2011) 13. OECD: “GDP per capita”, in Society at a Glance: Asia/Pacific 2014, OECD Publishing, Paris (2014) 14. IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA 2014 (iea.org/stats/index.asp) 15. United Nations. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (A/AC.237/18 (Part II)/Add.1 and Corr.1). Opened for signature at Rio de Janeiro on 4 June 1992 (Section C) 16. SEEInstitute. http://www.see-institute.org/srpski/energetski-profil-rs. Accessed 14 July 2020 17. Golusin, M., Tesic, Z., Ostojic, A.: The analysis of the renewable energy production sector in Serbia. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 14(5), 1477–1483 (2010)
A Model for the Evaluation of the Information Processing Rate of Smart Operators Salvatore Digiesi, Francesco Facchini, Andrea Lucchese(B) , and Giovanni Mummolo Department of Mechanics, Mathematics and Management, Polytechnic University of Bari, Via Edoardo Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy [email protected]
Abstract. The evolution of production environments towards Industry 4.0 paradigm led to a workload shift from physical to more cognitive activities, leading operators to perform tasks more cognitive-oriented. According to recent scientific studies, the typology of tasks as well as their complexity in smart factories will significantly change with the increased role of automation and artificial intelligence. Consistently to this trend, in the future work environments, operators will frequently interact with ever-smart machines. Under this perspective, the operators of smart factories, so-called “smart-operators”, will manage an increasing amount of information and data during the decision-making processes. In scientific literature many studies are available on the evaluation of the operators’ effort for the accomplishment of a physical-oriented task, but clear gaps are present for the evaluation of the operators’ capacities and effort involved in cognitive-oriented tasks. In this paper, an analytical model allowing to evaluate, based on the operator’s experience and on the complexity of the cognitive-oriented task to be performed, the Information Processing Rate (IPR) of a specific operator is presented. The results of the numerical experiment carried out proved the effectiveness of the model to provide the IPR of the operators by varying their experience and to evaluate if an operator is eligible for the accomplishment of a cognitive-oriented task. A potential application of the model is in the design phase of a cognitive-oriented task to predict the feasibility of its accomplishment by focusing on the capacities of operators. Keywords: Mental workload · Cognitive-oriented task · Information Processing Rate
1 Introduction The changes introduced in Industry 4.0 led operators to perform more and more cognitive tasks with negligible motor content, thus underlying the importance and the need for a major focus on the operators’ capacities and limits involved in more cognitive-oriented tasks. Focusing on the cognitive-oriented task, any operator could not perform an activity that requires a mental demand that exceeds his mental capacity [1] since every person can be considered as an information processor with a limited capacity [2, 3] and the information processing demand required by the operator must not exceed his capacity to © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 236–244, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_32
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accomplish the task [4, 5]. The time needed to process a certain amount of information can be reduced with practice and experience [2], so the related information processing ability or Information Processing Rate (IPR) of the subject can be consequently increased. The ability in performing a cognitive-oriented task with a certain complexity depends on the operator’s Information Processing Rate (IPR): the IPR indicates the amount of information that an operator can processes in 1 s, expressed in bit per unit of time (bit/s). The IPR is influenced by the experience and this link is of great interest due to the multiple impacts and implications on human performance such as quality, productivity, and safety, in I4.0 production environments. The model introduced can be usefully adopted to evaluate the IPR required by operators in performing cognitive tasks with negligible motor content with significant potential applications in the I4.0 production systems. The model is applied to a numerical experiment and results obtained proved the importance of evaluating the IPR of operators identifying the most suitable operators’ allocation that allows to guarantee the accomplishment of a cognitive-oriented task.
2 State of the Art: The TACOM Measure The model proposed is based on the TACOM (TAsk COMplexity) measure: TACOM is a measure of the complexity of the execution of a task appeared the first time to measure the complexity of Emergency Operating Procedures in Nuclear Power Plants [6]. The TACOM measure has been evaluated through the ‘Shannon Entropy’ applied to graphs as each emergency task was described by graph structures. The entropy definition of a graph is still evaluated in bit unit [7]. The evaluation of the entropy of a graph is defined in Eq. 1 [6]: Entropy = H = −
h i=1
p(Ai ) ∗ log2 p(Ai ) [bit]
(1)
where Ai is the ith distinctive class in a graph, h is the total number of distinctive classes and p(Ai ) the fraction between the number of identical nodes in Ai and the total number of nodes in a graph. In [8] every operator who accomplished an emergency task was timed, so the time needed by the operator to perform it was known (TPT, Task Performance Time) and using a regression analysis, the link between the TPT and the TACOM measure has been obtained. The relation is shown in Eq. 2. TPT = Task Performance Time = 1, 34 ∗ e0,987∗TACOM (s)
(2)
The emergency tasks had a cognitive nature with a negligible motor content due to the activities that the operators were asked to perform: the work environment simulated an MCR (Main Control Room) composed by conventional control panels [8]. The effort required by the operators in performing the emergency task was mainly a mental effort since activities were mostly of supervision and of decision-making. The experience of the operators is certainly a common feature of the emergency tasks has they had gained up to 14 years of work experience (SRO, Senior Reactor Operator) in MCR operations [9]. Starting from these observations and from the simulations’ results, it is possible to model the IPR (Information Processing Rate) for highly experienced operators who perform cognitive-oriented tasks based on the TACOM measure.
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3 Material and Methods 3.1 Model for the Evaluation of the Information Processing Rate The Information Processing Rate (IPR) expresses the amount of information (bit) processed in 1 s and is evaluated in Eq. 3. bit TACOM IPR = (3) 0,987∗TACOM s 1, 34 ∗ e Being TACOM ≥ 1 bit, as TACOM = 1 bit is the minimum amount of information necessary to choose between two equally likely alternatives (1 bit = log2 2) [10]. Figure 1 depicts the IPR trend by varying the complexity of the task (TACOM measure).
Fig. 1. IPR as a function of the TACOM (TACOM > 1 bit)
The general model for the evaluation of the IPR can be obtained by considering the work experience and modifying Eq. 3. bit TACOM TACOM = (4) IPR = TPT s k ∗ ea∗TACOM where a, or k, or both could be considered as a measure of the work experience. It can be demonstrated that parameter a is not representative of the work experience as its slightest variation leads to TPT values to much different (up to ten times) from the ones obtained in [8]. Parameter a is considered a constant equal to 1. Consequently: bit TACOM TACOM = (5) IPR = TPT s k ∗ eTACOM Parameter k can be considered a measure of the work experience as the TPT values obtained with its variation are coherent with TPT values of [8]. The existence domain of parameter k is >0.
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3.2 The Feasibility of the Accomplishment of a Cognitive-Oriented Task The Information Processing Rate (IPR) of the operator defined in Sect. 3.1 allows to evaluate the limit of the capacity of an operator with a given work experience in performing a cognitive-oriented task. The IPR values can be adopted in an analytical model to evaluate the feasibility of the accomplishment of a cognitive-oriented task comparing the complexity of the task to the IPR of the operator. This evaluation starts from the analytical model of Salvendy [11], depicted in Eq. 6. bit TL (6) ≤ Howl,lim Howl = Ke ∗ Kor s The mental workload imposed on the operator (Howl [bit/s]) depends on the Task Load (TL [bit/s]), organizational (Kor ) and environmental factors (Ke ) (both >0 and ≤1): these terms represent the objective difficulty in performing a task considering the complexity and the time available to complete the task and the workplace conditions [11]. If Kor and Ke are close to one, the operator works in a workplace where the conditions are ideal and allow to minimize the mental workload imposed on the operator (Howl ). Howl,lim depends only on the abilities of the operator to process the information to complete the task (decision-making process) considering his resources, such as the level of work experience. To accomplish a task properly, the mental workload imposed on the operator (Howl ) must not exceed his mental capacities and resources (Howl,lim ). The IPR expresses the mental capacities (information processing) and resources (experience) of operator. Hence, Eq. 6 can be modified in Eq. 7. TL bit (7) ≤ IPR Howl = Ke ∗ Kor s A first application of the defined model can be in a resource allocation problem. A task whose complexity (TACOM) and available time (AT) is assigned, is uniquely associated with its TL and considering Ke and Kor , it is possible to evaluate the Howl for that task. Consequently, starting from the IPR trends of operators with different experience (k), it is possible to allocate the right operator comparing his IPR value to the Howl calculated. This resource allocation problem has been applied to a numerical experiment in order to test the capability of the model.
4 Numerical Experiment The model defined in the previous section has been applied to a numerical experiment to prove its effectiveness. The model has been tested on a resource allocation problem. For the simulation it has been assumed a cognitive-oriented task composed by three procedural steps with increasing complexity. Each procedural step has a specific AT (Available Time) and a specific TACOM value. The TACOM measure is composed by five sub-measures, two of which are the SLC (Step Logic Complexity) and SSC (Step Size Complexity), both expressed by the ASG (Action Structure Graph) that represents the number and sequence of actions to be performed. The ASGs for each procedural step are shown in Fig. 2.
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Fig. 2. ASGs procedural steps
From the ASG it is possible to evaluate the entropy (in bit unit) of the SSC and SLC applying Eq. 1 for each procedural step. The other three sub-measures to be evaluated are: SIC (Step Information Complexity), EDC (Engineering Decision Complexity) and AHC (Abstraction Hierarchy Complexity). For the numerical experiment no real task has been analyzed, so to correctly evaluate the TACOM value these three sub-measures have been calculated in relation to the SSC sub-measure as the AHC, EDC and SIC sub-measures are strictly affected by the SSC in a cognitive-oriented task. The correlation between the three sub-measures and SSC has been evaluated through a regression analysis based on the data available in [8]. The results obtained from the regression analysis carried out are shown in Fig. 3.
Fig. 3. Linear regression analysis
Applying Eq. 1 and from the results of the regression analysis (Fig. 3), is possible to evaluate the TACOM measure applying its equation (from [12]). Assumed the AT (Available Time) for each procedural step and assuming ideal conditions of the workplace
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(ke and kor equal to 1), it is possible to evaluate the Howl (left-hand member of Eq. 7) for each procedural step. Results are shown in Table 1. Table 1. Results of TACOM, TL and Howl SIC (bit)
SLC (bit)
SSC (bit)
AHC (bit)
EDC (bit)
TACOM (bit)
AT (s)
TL (bit/s)
1
3,660
1,252
2,585
3,473
3,312
2
4,414
1,961
3,320
4,276
4,106
3
4,803
2,287
3,700
4,691
4,517
Howl (bit/s)
3,010
90
0,033
0,033
3,740
150
0,025
0,025
4,114
220
0,019
0,019
Each procedural step must be assigned to a specific operator who is characterized by a certain level of work experience. The numerical experiment firstly allows to verify if the operator is eligible to work or not on a specific procedural step, based on his/her IPR value and to find the operator-procedural step allocation that minimizes the total idle time of the cognitive-oriented task (sum of the idle times of the procedural steps). For the resource allocation problem, it has been assumed five operators with different level of experience (k = 1, 5-2-2, 5-3-3, 5) whose IPR trends are shown in Fig. 4.
Fig. 4. IPR trends for the five operators
Lower the k parameter, greater the work experience. Knowing the level of experience of an operator (k), is possible to calculate his TPT value depending on the complexity of the task (TACOM) (Eq. 5). From the TACOM values calculated in Table 1, it is possible to evaluate the IPR values and TPT values for each operator (through Eq. 5 and the denominator of Eq. 5 respectively). From Tables 1 and 2 is possible to verify that Eq. 7
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is satisfied (Howl ≤ IPR). The operator-procedural step allocation that minimizes the total idle time of the cognitive-oriented task is determined applying Eq. 8. min {xi,j }
3
5 j=1
i=1
ATi − TPTi,j ∗ xi,j [s]
(8)
Subjected to ATi − TPTi,j ≥ 0 ∀i, j. i = 1, 2, 3 is the ith procedural step, j = 1, …, 5 is the jth operator and xi,j is a boolean variable of the assignment problem (xi,j = 1 if the jth operator is assigned to the ith procedural step; xi,j = 0 otherwise). Table 2. IPR and TPT values Operator
k
IPR values [bit/s]
TPT values [s]
1
2
3
1
2
3
0,099
0,059
0,045
30,419
63,112
91,781
A (1)
1,5
B (2)
2
0,074
0,044
0,034
40,558
84,149
122,375
C (3)
2,5
0,059
0,036
0,027
50,698
105,187
152,968
D (4)
3
0,049
0,030
0,022
60,837
126,224
183,562
E (5)
3,5
0,042
0,025
0,019
70,977
147,261
214,156
Table 3. Operator-procedural step allocation Operator-procedural step allocation
Minimum idle time (s)
1
2
3
k e and k or = 1
C
D
E
69,022
k e and k or = 0,9
E
B
C
151,906
The resource allocation problem has been solved also assuming non-ideal workplace conditions (ke and kor equal to 0,9). As a consequence, the values of Howl in Table 1 changed (0,041 bit/s for procedural step 1, 0,031 bit/s for procedural step 2, 0,023 bit/s for procedural step 3). Comparing these Howl values with the IPR values in Table 2, the allocation of operator D and E on two procedural steps (2 and 3) does not verify Eq. 7, and for this reason are rejected from that allocations. The operator-procedural step allocation that minimizes the total idle time of the cognitive-oriented task for the two cases are evaluated from Eq. 7 and shown in Table 3. Results of the numerical experiment proved the effectiveness of the model: when Howl ≤ IPR is verified for an operator, he/she is able to accomplish the task. In the numerical experiment it has been underlined how the conditions of the workplace affect the Howl : the Howl values calculated in case of ke and kor equal to 0,9 decreased the number of allowable operator-procedural step allocations as Howl ≤ IPR was not satisfied for all the allocation permutations. The allocation of operators D and E in two of the three procedural steps (2 and 3) did not satisfy Eq. 7,
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decreasing the number of eligible assignments of the 70% (42 permutations out of 60 have been rejected). The worsening of workplace conditions (from ideal to ke and kor = 0,9) caused an increase of Howl higher than the 20% for all the procedural steps (comparing the Howl values of the first case to the Howl values of the second case) and the rejection of the 70% of the eligible assignments. Results obtained from the numerical experiment showed potentials of the model in identifying the proper operators’ allocation that allow to guarantee the accomplishment of the task. This is guaranteed if the mental workload imposed on the operator (Howl ) is lower than his/her mental workload threshold (IPR). The numerical experiment underlined how the model can be applied in industrial context to evaluate the feasibility of the correct execution of a cognitive-oriented task on the base of operators with a certain work experience k (Howl ≤ IPR), or to identify the most suitable operators for achieving a goal (i.e. minimization of the idle time).
5 Conclusions The results of this study indicate that the model developed can be adopted to evaluate the feasibility of the accomplishment of a cognitive-oriented task comparing the human capacities to the complexity of the task to be performed verifying that the information processing demand imposed on the operator does not exceed his capacity of accomplishment. The model showed how the level of the work experience matured (k), affects the human capacities (IPR) in performing a task. Results obtained from the numerical experiment showed that the model can be applied in ‘smart factories’ industrial context in which the operator is asked to perform more and more a cognitive task with negligible motor content, to interact with cyber-physical production system (CPPS) becoming ‘smart operator’. If a factory needs to ensure that a certain task must be correctly executed, the numerical experiment showed how not all the operators are eligible. The model can be used as a part of design phase of a cognitive-oriented task described by a procedure to predict the feasibility of its accomplishment focusing on the capacities that an operator need to execute correctly the task (IPR and experience). Future research would be required to validate this model in a real industrial context.
References 1. Loft, S., Sanderson, P., Neal, A., Mooij, M.: Modeling and predicting mental workload in en route air traffic control: critical review and broader implications. Hum. Factors 49, 376–399 (2007) 2. Huesmann, L.R., Card, S.K., Moran, T.P., Newell, A.: The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc., New Jersey (1983) 3. Moray, N., Dessouky, M.I., Kijowski, B.A., Adapathya, R.: Strategic behavior, workload, and performance in task scheduling. Hum. Factors 33, 607–629 (1991) 4. Miller, G.A.: The magical number seven, plus or minus two: some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychol. Rev. 63, 81–97 (1956) 5. Rasmussen, J.: The human data processor as a system component. Bits and pieces of a model. Risø National Laboratory-Roskilde, p. 1722 (1974) 6. Park, J., Jung, W.: A study on the development of a task complexity measure for emergency operating procedures of nuclear power plants. Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf. 92, 1102–1116 (2007)
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7. Rashevsky, N.: Life, information theory, and topology. Bull. Math. Biophys. 17, 229–235 (1955) 8. Park, J.: The Complexity of Proceduralized Tasks. Springer Series in Reliability Engineering, Republic of Korea. Springer, London (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-791-2 9. Park, J., Jung, W., Kim, J., Ha, J.: Step complexity measure for emergency operating procedures - determining weighting factors. Nucl. Technol. 143, 290–308 (2003) 10. Hartley, R.V.L.: Transmission of information. Bell Syst. Tech. J. 7, 535–563 (1928) 11. Bi, S., Salvendy, G.: A proposed methodology for the prediction of mental workload, based on engineering system parameters. Work Stress 8, 355–371 (1994) 12. Park, J., Jung, W.: A study on the revision of the TACOM measure. IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. 54(6), 2666–2676 (1997)
Impact of Coronavirus COVID-19 Crisis on Insurance Industry of Serbia ´ c Marko Vukovi´c(B) and Djordje Cosi´ Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovi´ca 6, Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. Coronavirus - COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on companies and business worldwide in 2020. Insurance industry is no different. They faced many unpredictable and demanding situations that require adaptation through the changes in company business, human resources, employment and management. The main aim of our research is to collect, analyze and compare data about these areas which suffered during the coronavirus pandemic period. In this paper, some insurance companies that have offices in Serbia, are used to collect data. As a result of research, we will have insight into managerial moves that they made to handle this crisis on the best possible way, how big impact coronavirus crisis had on their business and is there something that they learned from this crisis that they can use to improve their business and to grow in the future. Keywords: Coronavirus impact on insurance industry · Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic crisis · Insurance industry analysis during coronavirus · Insurance industry of Serbia
1 Introduction In January 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. WHO stated that there is a high risk of COVID-19 spreading to other countries around the world. In March 2020, WHO made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic [1]. First registered case in Serbia was on March 6, 2020. State of emergency was announced by Serbian Government on March 15, 2020. with safety measures including limited movement in public. Also, State border was closed [2]. Broadly speaking, the COVID-19 virus is sweeping westwards across the world beginning in China at the end of 2019. reaching Europe from February/March 2020. and during summer 2020. taking increasing hold in North America, Brazil and India [3, 4]. Insurance companies are by nature of their work dealing with insuring others against their risks, while being exposed to certain risks themselves, the same as other organizations [5]. Insurance industry, like any other, is going through difficult period full of challenges with importance of successful management in order to overcome the crisis. This research that we conducted in Serbia on a sample of insurance companies, is a step towards a better understanding of existing situation of insurance sector in Serbia, how they are handling the crisis and what can we expect from them in the future. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 245–252, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_33
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´ c M. Vukovi´c and D. Cosi´
2 Background and Literature Review 2.1 Global Insurance Industry Loss Predictions and Implications Lloyd’s of London, the world’s biggest insurance market, expects to pay out between $3bn and $4.3bn to its customers due to the coronavirus pandemic, as it warned of a $203bn hit for the entire industry. Insurance companies around the world have suffered losses as widespread government shutdowns have prompted claims for business closures, and halted travel and events. The scale of payouts to customers forecast by Lloyd’s this year are equivalent to other big claims years for insurers, such as the aftermath of 9/11, when Lloyd’s paid out $4.7bn, and in 2017, when hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria caused widespread damage and loss, leading to $4.8bn in payouts. The insurance market estimates the industry will face underwriting losses this year of approximately $107bn due to Covid-19. In addition, insurers have seen a slump in the value of their investments which they use to pay claims, of about $96bn, creating a total loss for the industry of over $200bn [6]. According to Lloyd’s of London chief executive, John Neal: “What makes Covid-19 unique is the not just the devastating continuing human and social impact, but also the economic shock. All those factors together will challenge the industry as never before, but we will keep focused on supporting our customers and continuing to pay claims over the weeks and months ahead” [6]. In Republic of Serbia, insurance companies are usually large companies [7]. The National Bank of Serbia, as a supervisor in the insurance business, sent a recommendation to all insurance companies operating on the territory of Serbia to enable insurance policyholders to defer payment of due insurance premiums on the basis of insurance contracts which provide for periodic premium payments. This recommendation applies in particular to policyholders who have been banned from moving throughout the day in old age, as well as to those policyholders who have lost their regular income or whose regular income has been significantly reduced so that they are no longer able during the state of emergency to settle its obligations under the insurance contract [8]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies switched to work from home and such a change provided new opportunities for cybercriminals to enter corporate systems and access business data, counting on the curiosity of individuals who are offered “miracle” drugs against viruses or deficient medical devices. This happens to a greater or lesser extent all the time. Cybersecurity risk refers to the probability or possibility that a potentially harmful event will result from deficient cybersecurity [9, 10]. By opening infected links or attachments, access to the company’s data is enabled, thefts, misuse or alteration of data. With the increase of such attacks, the development of the cyber insurance market began, so many companies began to look for a solution in from of insurance that would protect them from such attacks. Companies are at a crossroads [11, 12]. According to Sanja Jovanovic, the director of the Corporate Insurance Department in Wiener Städtische, it is predicted that the cyber risk insurance market will grow up to $20 billion in the next five years [13]. How Insurance Companies Have Responded and Adapted to the New COVID19 Way of Life? COVID-19 will have a severe and immediate impact on the scope and scale of claims, policy wordings, top-line growth, insurers’ capital bases and their
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investment returns. To respond, insurers will need to move rapidly to a digital operating model, build in flexibility and agility, and find ways to maximize new income [14]. The insurance industry and governments both have important roles to play in facilitating this economic reboot. Governments can provide clear guidelines on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and in some areas, work with the insurance industry to provide the security needed in the short term, ahead of a longer term solution. The global insurance industry must respond urgently to customers’ changing needs. If it doesn’t it risks losing customers who could seek to establish or increase their use of self-insurance through captives, or not buy cover at all [15].
3 Past Research and Their Results Wells Media Group conducted the Insurance Industry Coronavirus Survey online from May 26 through June 12, 2020. A total of 1,704 respondents participated. They work for insurers, reinsurers, brokerages and vendors to the industry [16]. From Wells Media’s Group survey results, we can see that 60% of employees in insurance industry, have worked from home full-time during the pandemic. At the other side, 15% of employees in this industry have worked like before, spending whole time in the office. The rest of 25% of respondents combined working in office and working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic [16]. According to Wells Media Group’s study, in insurance industry, company’s priorities post-crisis mainly will be: accelerating technology application (62% of all respondents), re-establishing corporate culture (46%), improving cybersecurity (39%) and new product offering (19%), while lesser focus will be on: underwriting changes (12%), fraud prevention (11%), reconfiguring supply chain (7%) and improving employee’s benefits (6%) [16].
4 Sample and Methods This research was conducted in Serbia on a sample of 5 insurance companies (of 16 in total), what makes 31% of all insurance companies located in Serbia. Questions in survey were in form of Likert type of psychometric scale, with a range from 1 to 10, except one question with offered answers. Whole survey contained customized questions and statements that are made by authors of this research.
5 Results From a survey that is conducted as a part of this research, responses on 5 statements stand out and responses on 1 question as well. On a statement: “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our insurance company is big”, insurance companies’ responses suggest that impact of coronavirus pandemic on Serbian insurance companies is moderate without extreme high or extreme low impact on companies that participated in this research (Fig. 1).
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Fig. 1. Responses on statement: “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our insurance company is big”
Second statement of this research is: “During the COVID-19 pandemic, our insurance company operated in the same way as before the epidemic, without any changes in business, management or organization”. Responses clearly suggest that most insurance companies in Serbia that were part of this research, suffered really big changes in business, management or organization as a need to handle the crisis. Only one of 5 insurance companies declare that they suffered just smaller changes during the pandemic period (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Responses on statement: “During the COVID-19 pandemic, our insurance company operated in the same way as before the epidemic, without any changes in business, management or organization”
Analyzing responses on third statement: “Employees of our insurance company were enabled to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic”, it comes to the conclusion that most insurance companies (3 of 5) that participated in this survey, fully allowed their employees to have an option to work from home. At the other side, one of these five respondents indicated that majority of their employees didn’t have an opportunity to work from home, while one insurance company declared that their employees combine a time that they spend in office and as working from home (Fig. 3).
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Fig. 3. Responses on statement: “Employees of our insurance company were enabled to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic”
All insurance companies in Serbia, that took a part in this research, agree about the following statement: “The efficiency of our employees when working from home is lower, compared to the performance that they achieve while working in the office”. They all agree that efficiency of their employees that worked from home wasn’t significantly lower than when they work in office (Fig. 4).
Fig. 4. Responses on statement: “The efficiency of our employees when working from home is lower, compared to the performance that they achieve while working in the office”
Very clear and unambiguous conclusion can be made from last statement. Four out of five insurance companies, on a statement: “During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, we plan to increase the level of digitization when interacting and doing business with our clients”, declared that they fully agree (10 out of 10 on Likert type of scale), that increasing level of digitalization when interacting and doing business with clients will be one of their main goals during and after the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic (Fig. 5).
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Fig. 5. Responses on statement: “During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, we plan to increase the level of digitization when interacting and doing business with our clients”
Near those statements, five insurance companies in Serbia, that took a part in this research, were asked to mark what will be their company’s priorities after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses on this question are very interesting as all five companies fully agreed about three points as priorities after the COVID-19 crisis: Accelerating technology application, new product offering and underwriting changes. Other points like: Improving cybersecurity, fraud prevention, re-establishing corporate culture and improving employee’s benefits got much smaller importance as post-crisis actions (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6. Responses on statement: “Which of the following points will be your company’s priorities after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic? (You can mark more responses offered)”
6 Discussion In comparison with research of Wells Media Group [16], where they got as a result that 60% of employees in insurance industry have worked from home full-time during the pandemic, 15% have worked like before, spending whole time in the office, while the rest of 25% of respondents combined working in office and working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, results of our research are very similar. Based on survey of five insurance companies located in Serbia that participated in this research, results show that 60% (3 of 5) companies fully offered an option to their employees to work from home all the time, 20% companies (1 of 5) didn’t give a possibility to their employees to
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work from home, while 20% (1 of 5) companies allowed their employees to work from home some time while spending the rest of the time in office. As a survey result on a statement: “Which of the following points will be your company’s priorities after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic”, Wells Media Group’s got that post-crisis priorities mainly will be: accelerating technology application (62% of all respondents), re-establishing corporate culture (46%), improving cybersecurity (39%) and new product offering (19%), while other points got lesser focus [16]. Results of our research suggest that all five insurance companies located in Serbia, that took a part in research, completely agree that accelerating technology application, new product offering and underwriting changes will be their main priorities in post-crisis period. In comparison to Wells Media Group’s results, companies from our research did not fully recognize establishing corporate culture and improving cybersecurity as very important topics after the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
7 Conclusion, Deficiency and Directions of Further Research It is very complex subject how insurance companies will react in post pandemic period. To answer all challenges that Serbian insurance companies face, it is necessary to make significant changes in management and organization. Results of this research clearly indicates that insurance companies will set accelerating digitalization application as a priority. Modern world relies more and more on technology and it is no different in insurance industry. Considering work from home as a new normal, implementing and upgrading technology usage, underwriting changes and offering new products that will satisfy customer’s needs will be very actual topics in post pandemic life. As deficiency we can mention the size of sample, even 5 of 16 is 31% of all insurance companies in Serbia. It would be useful for further research to conduct this analysis on larger sample with adding some other questions and variables that could be helpful for better understanding of this topic.
References 1. Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19). WHO.com. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/ novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub. Accessed 5 July 2020 2. Latest information about COVID-19 in the republic of Serbia. covid19.rs. https://covid19.rs/. Accessed 14 July 2020 3. Hay, L.: COVID-19: the global insurance response. KPMG.com. https://home.kpmg/xx/en/ home/insights/2020/04/covid-19-global-insurance-response.html. Accessed 4 July 2020 4. Sabatello, M., Blankmeyer Burke, T., McDonald, K.: Disability, ethics, and health care in the COVID-19 pandemic. Am. J. Public Health 110, 1523–1527 (2020) 5. Zivkov, E., Nerandzic, B., Kuzmanovic, B.: A correlation between the function of controlling and the process of risk management in the company. Int. J. Ind. Eng. Manag. (IJIEM) 6(4), 179–189 (2015) 6. Lloyd’s of London expects up to £3.5bn in coronavirus payouts. The Guardian.com. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/14/lloyds-of-london-coronavirus-pay outs. Accessed 11 July 2020
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7. Kuzmanovic, T.: The importance of financial controlling in the service systems with regard to insurance. Int. J. Ind. Eng. Manag. (IJIEM) 10(1), 41–47 (2019) 8. National Bank of Serbia: Insurance companies to enable deferred payment of premiums. Paragraf Lex.rs. https://www.paragraf.rs/dnevne-vesti/310320/310320-vest13.html. Accessed 4 July 2020 9. Gordon, L., Loeb, M., Zhou, L.: Integrating cost–benefit analysis into the NIST Cybersecurity Framework via the Gordon–Loeb Model. J. Cybersecur. 6(1) (2020) 10. Egloff, F.: Public attribution of cyber intrusions. J. Cybersecur. 6(1) (2020) 11. Donovan, J.: Concrete recommendations for cutting through misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Am. J. Public Health 110, S286–S287 (2020) 12. Steffens, M.S., Dunn, A.G., Wiley, K.E.: How organizations promoting vaccination respond to misinformation on social media: a qualitative investigation. BMC Public Health 19(1), 1348 (2019) 13. Jovanovic, S.: The COVID-19 pandemic paved the way for cyber-attacks. Nova Ekonomija.rs. https://novaekonomija.rs/arhiva-izdanja/broj-72-jul-2020/pandemija-covid-19-otvorila-putza-sajber-napade. Accessed 9 July 2020 14. Rogak, L.: How COVID-19 is Impacting the Home Insurance Industry. Insurance Advocate. http://ezproxy.nb.rs:2093/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=1fdabb17-3296-478e8450-b5f3a444a711%40sessionmgr4008. Accessed 9 July 2020 15. Supporting global recovery and resilience for customers and economies. Lloyd’s.com. https:// www.lloyds.com/news-and-risk-insight/media-centre/coronavirus-updates-hub/supportingglobal-recovery-and-resilience-for-customers-and-economies. Accessed 4 July 2020 16. Simpson, A.: Exclusive Coronavirus Survey: P/C Insurance Return to ‘Normal’ Office May Take Time. Insur. J. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2020/07/01/573913. htm. Accessed 13 July 2020
Bank Controlling in Montenegro: Effects of the Pandemic Crisis on the Montenegrin Economy, Banking Sector and the Profitability of Banks Srdjan Jankovic(B) CKB Bank OTP Group, Strategy, Planning and Controlling, Podgorica, Montenegro [email protected]
Abstract. Factors such as the expanding rate of globalization and growing bank competition have necessitated cutting net interest margins. Although the importance of controlling in banking business is becoming more recognized, there are still some common misconceptions regarding its exact purpose and implementation. Controlling function in the biggest banks in Montenegro is placed under the department of Finance (third level in the organizational hierarchy). The controllers within the banks are not fully involved in making major decisions. An effective controlling function is becoming even more critical now when the financial performance of the Montenegrin banks has been affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. The effect of the pandemic on the banks in Montenegro has been two-fold. On the one hand, it has led to an increased uncertainty and volatility in the banking market, and on the other to the increased demand for controlling and frequent use of forecast models. Since the effects of the global pandemic could not be anticipated, previously prepared budgets are no longer operational. The goal of this study is to determine the effects of the changes in the economic activity at the sector and macroeconomic level on the profitability of banks, measured by banks’ return on equity (ROE) and return of assets (ROA). The study includes several bank-specific indicators such as: total assets (TA) and credit risk (CR). Also included are macro-economic indicators such as: gross domestic product (GDP) and interest rates (INT). The study used a regression model and included 15 banks in Montenegro. Keywords: Bank controlling · COVID 19 · ROE · ROA · GDP · Forecast
1 Introduction Montenegro, as a small country of about 620.000 people, is an open economy and is sensitive to external influences. Modern banks operate in an increasingly complex business environment. The primary reasons for the introduction of controlling in banks are the growing competition in banking and the complex conditions in the internal and external business environment. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 253–260, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_34
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Due to strong competition, interest margins are getting thinner by the year and decision making is becoming more complex. More than ever, bank managers are under pressure to make effective and timely decisions, in order to quickly adapt to the rapidly changing business landscape and secure the bank’s position on the market. Gaining a competitive edge in such conditions is not possible without a strong controlling function. Bank controlling is aimed at increasing the bank’s profitability, expanding its customer base, growing its market share etc. The crisis caused by the COVID 19 pandemic has led to an increased demand for bank controlling and frequent budgeting and forecasting. It becomes difficult for banks to predict the flow of loans, non-performing loans (NPL), deposit portfolio, interest rates, fees, loan portfolio and liquidity risks etc. The hypothesis tested in this paper is: H1: Total Assets, Credit Risk, Gross Domestic Product, and Interest rate have a significant impact on banks’ Return on Equity and Return of Assets.
2 Literature Review Controlling is a relatively young scientific discipline that first emerged about 50 years ago. The primary purpose of controlling is assisting management in the decision-making process and increasing the capabilities of the bank to effectively respond to the changes in the market environment. [1] defined a controller as “a person with an extensive experience in accounting”. According to these authors, a controller is a pilot who helps the captain safely maneuver the boat into the harbor. Likewise, a business controller must ensure that the company reaches the land of profit. The authors differentiate three stages in the evolution of controlling: They refer to the first stage as “record-keeping”. This form of controlling was implemented in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Controlling was past-oriented in that period and was mainly concerned with the precise recording of business activities. The next stage is called “Navigation”. Due to the increasingly volatile business environment, the controlling function evolved beyond just record-keeping, now incorporating tasks such as profit-margin calculation and budget preparation and control. In the third stage, named “Innovation”, the controller introduces new instruments and innovations in the business practices, seeking to adapt them more rapidly to the changing environment. The impact of both bank-specific and macro-economic factors on bank profitability has been widely studied. [2] studied determinants of bank profitability on a sample of 389 banks. According to their study, low inflation and stable economic growth have an effect on credit expansion and profitability. [3] investigated the impact of macroeconomic and bank specific factors on the profitability of the UK’s commercial banks. They found that changes in GDP affect the profitability of banks. [4] analyzed the effect of macroeconomic factors, such as GDP and interest rate, on the profitability of banks. [5] investigated the impact of macroeconomic factors on the profitability of commercial banks in Pakistan in the period 2001–2011. They conducted an empirical study which showed a strong positive correlation between interest rates and profitability. GDP had a marginal positive effect on ROA while the inflation rate and profitability correlated negatively. Using a dataset of 154 banks for the period between 1980–2006, [6] found that interest rate, inflation, exchange rate and monetary policy all had a significant effect on bank profitability. [7] examined commercial banks in Nigeria. They found the gross
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domestic product to be positively correlated and interest and inflation rates negatively correlated to ROE. [8] used panel data of 21 public sector organizations and 39 banks in India. They investigated the impact of GDP, inflation, exchange rates, money supply and gross domestic savings on bank profitability. Empirical data collected by [9] provide an overview of profitability in the banking sector, prior and following the financial crisis of 2008. The data of 73 UK commercial banks showed that bank size, capital ratio, loans, deposits, liquidity and interest rate positively correlated with ROA and ROE. The data also demonstrated that GDP and inflation rates were negatively correlated with these indicators. Examining both aggregate and individual datasets, [10] found that procyclicality of bank profits is stronger during the periods of deep recessions than during the less severe economic downturns. For each percent of GDP contraction during recession periods, bank assets decreased by 0.24%. [11] found that both bank-specific indicators (asset size, deposits to assets, credit risk) and macroeconomic variables (interest rate) strongly correlate with ROE. They also found that credit risk and interest rate levels have a strong impact on ROA.
3 Data Source and Methodology The data collected for the purposes of this study mainly come from interviews and official websites of commercial banks in Montenegro. The quantitative analysis offered in the study is based on a dataset provided by the Central Bank of Montenegro [12] and the Statistical Office of Montenegro [13]. The set contains bank-specific, macroeconomic and profitability data for the period between January 2006 to December 2019. The dataset contains 168 figures for each of the selected variables recorded in the given time. The bank-specific indicators include a bank’s size (measured by total assets) and creditrisk (measured by the Loan impairment to Gross Loans ratio). The macro-economic indicators include Gross Domestic Product and Interest rate. Return on Equity and Return on Assets are used as profitability measures. The variables are defined as follows: • • • • •
Return of equity (ROE): Net profit after tax divided by average shareholders’ equity. Return of assets (ROA): Net profit after tax divided by average total assets. Total assets (TA): Bank’s total on-balance-sheet assets. Credit Risk (CR): Impairment of loans divided by Total assets. Gross domestic product (GDP): GDP is defined as the growth of economic activity adjusted by inflation. • Interest rates (INT): Weighted average effective interest rate on deposits. Achieving the stated goals of this study required building predictive models for ROE and ROA. The same set of independent variables was used in both models. Table 1 below gives the summary of the variables used in this study. The study sought to build ROE = f (TA, CR, GDP, INT) and ROA = f (TA, CR, GDP, INT) models. Pearson’s correlation coefficient is a common statistical measure of the strength of a linear association between two variables. The coefficient takes values in the range [−1, 1]. Positive values of the coefficient denote positive linear correlation, which means that with the increase of one variable, the other variable increases as well.
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S. Jankovic Table 1. Variables used in the study
Type
Variables
Notation
Indicators
Independent
Total assets
TA
Bank-specific indicators
Impairment to Gross loans
CR
Gross domestic product
GDP
Weighted average effective interest rate on deposits
INT
Return on equity
ROE
Return on assets
ROE
Dependent
Macro-economic indicators
Profitability
Conversely, negative values indicate that with the increase of one variable, the other variable decreases. The following categorization was applied to indicate the strength of the absolute correlation coefficient: 0–0.3 - weak, 0.31–0.7 – moderate, 0.71–1.0 strong. The focus of the study then turned to building linear regression models for ROE and ROA. All independent variables were entered into the equation in a single step, using Enter multiple regression method. The functional forms of the models are as follows: ROE = b1,0 + b1,1 ∗ TA + b1,2 ∗ CR + b1,3 ∗ GDP + b1,4 ∗ INT + ∈1
(1)
ROA = b2,0 + b2.1 ∗ TA + b2,2 ∗ CR + b2,3 ∗ GDP + b2,4 ∗ INT + ∈2
(2)
where bi,0 , bi,1 , bi,2 , bi,3 , bi,4 , i = 1, 2 are coefficients to be calculated and ∈1 and ∈2 are stochastic error terms. The performance of the model was assessed by using ANOVA method and by testing the hypothesis H0 (b1 = b2 = b3 = b4 = 0) against the alternative H1 , which presupposed the existence of at least one coefficient different from zero. All statistical tests were performed based on statistical significance at the level of 5%. Standards goodness-of-fit measures for linear regression models were then 2 computed, such as the coefficient of determination R2 and its adjusted version R . The collinearity among independent variables was examined through the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF). The standard criteria analysis was applied to this purpose: VIF < 5 suggests that there is no multicollinearity among variables, while all values greater than 5 indicate that additional analysis is necessary.
4 Results Montenegro’s economy is heavily reliant on tourism1 , so this sector of the economy, expectedly, suffered the biggest blow from the pandemic. Payment transactions have been reduced2 which has led to a drop in the banks’ net fee income. The demand for 1 Income from tourism in 2019 was e1.2 billion. GDP in the same year was e4.9 billion. 2 Domestic payment transactions in Montenegro in April 2020 were down by 32,98%, compared
with the same period last year.
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loans and bank services has also dropped and so has the banks’ interest income. To mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic, the Central Bank of Montenegro introduced a moratorium on all loan repayments for the period of 90 days. The purpose of introducing a moratorium on loan repayments was to help borrowers avoid falling behind on loan repayment and to prevent an increase in credit risk. What emerged from the interviews with bank representatives is that bank controlling has been put to a serious test following the corona pandemic. Providing an effective support for decision making process has become challenging. Each bank in Montenegro has a controlling function set up within their respective organizational structures. However, the actual scope of the controller’s role in Montenegrin banks is best labeled as “navigator”, to borrow the terminology used by the authors cited above. The primary tasks of the controller are reporting to the shareholders and management, cost control and budget planning. The organizational structures of the commercial banks covered by this study have the function of controlling positioned within the Department of Finance (at the third level of hierarchy), rather than having it placed in a direct support position at the top management level. The controlling tools such as balance scorecard, and data mining are not well understood or used in the controlling process3 . Preparing a realistic budget presents a challenge for controllers in the current pandemic situation. Table 2 below gives the descriptive statistics (minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, and maximum) for both dependent and independent variables. The minimal ROE and ROA values in 2010 were due to the allocation of additional loan loss provisions for uncollected loan payments, following the financial crisis. Table 2. Descriptive statistics of variables TA
CR
GDP
INT
ROE
ROA
Mean
3.13
5.03
3.38
2.43
−1.78
−0.08
Std. deviation
0.86
1.81
4.71
1.25
13.91
1.52
Minimum
0.69
1.68
−10.90
0.41
−38.45
−4.14
Maximum Percentiles
4.70
7.94
18.20
4.28
12.89
1.56
25
2.89
3.92
1.25
1.05
−12.91
−1.26
50
3.07
5.21
3.60
3.08
4.10
0.50
75
3.61
6.47
5.20
3.40
7.98
1.00
The results of the correlation analysis presented in Table 3 provided a starting point for the analysis of the relationship between dependent and independent variables. The results indicate a statistically significant correlation between ROE and each of the independent variables TA, CR, GDP, and INT. The results also demonstrated a weak positive 3 The controller has to be prepared to detect early signs of changes in customers’ behavior,
prevent customer churn and their leaving the bank, propose innovation, provide performance and seasonal information and analyses to be used as input for predictive decisions and cost modelling, assess the effects of marketing campaigns etc.
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correlation between ROE and TA, and moderately positive correlation between ROE and GDP. ROE is weakly negatively correlated with CR and moderately negatively correlated with INT. Table 3. Correlation analysis
ROE ROA
TA
CR
GDP
INT
Pearson Correlation
.192*
−.224**
.422**
−.542**
Sig. (2-tailed)
0.013
0.004
0.000
0.000
Pearson Correlation
.198*
−.188*
.389**
−.550**
Sig. (2-tailed)
0.010
0.015
0.000
0.000
**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). *Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
Table 4 provides a summary and validation of the ROE and ROA linear regression models. Table 4. Model’s validation and summary of results Model
Model summary
ANOVA
Sig.
R Square
Adjusted R Square
F statistics
1: ROE
0.495
0.483
39.965
0.000
2: ROA
0.476
0.464
37.080
0.000
The values of coefficients of determination of both models show that almost 50% of the dependent variables were predicted by the selected independent variables. F statistics for ROE and ROA, and its significance level suggest that there is a significant linear relationship between predictors and the dependent variable. This means that both models can be considered statistically valid and their estimations significant. Based on the regression coefficients given in Table 5 and Table 6, respectively, we can estimate the models as follows: ROE = 33.818 − 3.516 ∗ TA − 1.497 ∗ CR + 0.714 ∗ GDP − 8.015 ∗ INT ROA = 3.882 − 0.418 ∗ TA − 0.142 ∗ CR + 0.070 ∗ GDP − 0.897 ∗ INT
(3) (4)
The regression coefficients were tested based on the t-statistics and the value of Sig. All model variables had a significant impact on ROE. ROE was negatively affected by TA, CR, and INT, and positively by GDP. From the correlation Table 4, we can see that TA is positively correlated with ROA and ROE. However, when included with other predictors, TA has a negative relationship with both, ROA and ROE. This occurs due to
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Table 5. Linear regression model: ROE Unstandardized coefficients b
Std. Error
Constant
33.818
6.860
TA
−3.516
CR
−1.497
Sig.
95.0% confidence interval for B
Collinearity statistics
Lower bound
Upper bound
Tolerance
VIF
4.929
0.000
20.271
47.365
1.340
−2.624
0.010
−6.162
−0.870
0.448
2.231
0.515
−2.910
0.004
−2.513
−0.481
0.694
1.441
0.714
0.197
3.617
0.000
0.324
1.104
0.694
1.441
−8.015
0.916
−8.746
0.000
−9.824
−6.205
0.454
2.203
GDP INT
t
the intercorrelations between the independent variables in the complex model. In spite of the country’s GDP growth following the financial crisis, banks continued pursuing restrictive credit policies. Banks’ high coverage ratios4 , which increased during financial crisis, remained flat in the period after the crisis. The result was a decline in banks’ total assets, improved quality of their loan portfolios with low risk cost allocation for loans, and improved profitability. Net interest margins shrunk due to the decrease in interest rates on deposits, which had a negative impact on banks’ profitability. The coefficients from regression model show that a GDP increase of 1% led to a ROE increase of 0.714%. The values of VIF for variables range between 1.441 and 2.231, which, according to the set criteria, suggests absence of multicollinearity between the independent variables in the regression. Table 6. Linear regression model: ROA Unstandardized coefficients b Constant
t
Sig.
Std. error
95.0% confidence interval for B
Collinearity statistics
Lower bound
Tolerance
VIF
Upper bound
3.882
0.762
5.092
0.000
2.376
TA
−0.418
0.149
−2.808
0.006
−0.712
−0.124
0.448
2.231
CR
−0.142
0.057
−2.480
0.014
−0.255
−0.029
0.694
1.441
0.070
0.022
3.182
0.002
0.026
0.113
0.694
1.441
−0.897
0.102
−8.805
0.000
−1.098
−0.695
0.454
2.203
GDP INT
5.387
As shown in Table 6, all bank-specific and macroeconomic indicators are statistically significant for ROA as well. The regression results demonstrate a positive impact of GDP 4 Coverage ratio is calculated as the allocated loan provision divided by the on-performing loan
portfolio.
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and negative impact of TA, CR, INT on ROA. The values of VIF are acceptable, showing that multicollinearity assumption is not violated.
5 Conclusion Bank controlling has an increasing role in Montenegro’s banking sector, but its importance is still not fully recognized by the banks’ managements. The main focus of the controlling function in Montenegrin banks is reporting, budgeting and cost control. The profitability of the bank sector in Montenegro in the future will be affected to large extent by the adopted macroeconomic policies, and the further impact of the global pandemic on the country’s economy. The developed regression model confirmed the hypothesis that TA, CR, GDP and IR have a significant impact on the banks’ ROE and ROA. The COVID 19 pandemic hindered prediction of macroeconomic and banking indicators during the economic recession. Based on the IMF’s prediction that the country’s GDP in 2020 will shrink by 9% [14], it is estimated that the banking sector’s ROE will decrease by 6,426%. This study is intended to help the commercial banks and policy makers in Montenegro improve banks’ profitability.
References 1. Perovi´c, V., Bojani´c R.: Osnovi kontrolinga. FTN izdavaštvo, Novi Sad, p. 40 (2016) 2. Flamini, V., McDonald, C., Schumacher, L.: The determinants of commercial bank profitability in Sub-Saharan Africa. IMF Working paper WP/09/15 (2009) 3. Kosmidou, K., Tanna, S., Pasiouras, F.: Determinants of profitability of domestic UK commercial banks: panel evidence from the period 1995–2002. Economics, Finance and Accounting Applied Research Working Paper Series (2005) 4. Ramlall, I.: Bank-specific, industry-specific and macroeconomic determinants of profitability in Taiwanese banking system: under panel data estimation. Int. Res. J. Finan. Econ. (34), 160–167 (2009). Accessed http://www.eurojournals.com/finance.htm 5. Kanwal, S., Nadeem, M.: The Impact of macroeconomic variables on the profitability of listed commercial banks in Pakistan. Eur. J. Bus. Soc. Sci. 2(9), 186–201 (2013). http://www.ejbss. com/recent.aspx 6. Aburime, T.U.: Determinants of bank profitability: macroeconomic evidence from Nigeria (2008). Accessed http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1231064 7. Osamwonyi, O.I., Michael, I.C.: The impact of macroeconomic variables on the profitability of listed commercial banks in Nigeria. Eur. J. Acc. Audit. Finan. Res. 2(10), 85–95 (2014) 8. Scott, J.W., Arias, J.C.: Banking profitability determinants. Bus. Intell. J. 4(2), 209–230 (2011) 9. Saeed, S.M.: Bank-related, industry-related and macroeconomic factors affecting bank profitability: a case of the UK. Res. J. Finan. Acc. 5, 42–50 (2014) 10. Bolt, W., Haan, L., Hoeberichts, M., Oordt, M., Swank, J.: Bank profitability during recession. DNB Working Paper (2010) 11. Riaz, S., Mehar, A.: The impact of bank specific and macroeconomic indicators on the profitability of commercial banks. Rom. Econ. J. XVI(47), 91 (2013) 12. Central Bank of Montenegro. https://www.cbcg.me/en/statistics/statistical/. Accessed 13 June 2020 13. Statistical Office of Montenegro. https://www.monstat.org/eng/page.php?id=1576&pageid= 1576. Accessed 15 June 2020 14. International Monetary Fund. https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDP_RPCH @WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD/MNE. Accessed 13 June 2020
Media and Sport: Mutual Benefit Biljana Ratkovi´c Njegovan(B)
, Sonja Bunˇci´c , and Iva Šidanin
Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. Sport has played a significant role in the growth and development of mass media, especially television, since the formative phase of their emergence. On the other hand, the mass media attracted commercial sponsorship to sports events, thus contributing significant revenues, both to sports clubs and to the media outlets themselves. The positive effects of media coverage of sports are in education about the importance of sports and sports rules, in creating sports role models, encouraging sports, and the development of sports journalism. A survey conducted on a sample of 120 participants showed that for over 60% of them, television is still the most watched media outlet when it comes to sports events. Slightly less than half of the respondents were of the opinion that there should be more articles about sports in the mainstream media. Also, close to a third of the respondents stated that they dedicate from two to as many as five hours a day to television reports on sports. When it comes to journalistic genres that represent sports and sports events, interesting answers were obtained. Namely, a significant percentage of respondents thought that sports television reports, in terms of genre, should be of the documentary type, and in correlation with that, it was stated that there is a lack of quality analysis of sports events. This indicates that sports journalists, although very competent in their field, do not have the opportunity to do serious investigative work in sports journalism. Keywords: Media · Sports · Investigative sports journalism · Media audience
1 Introduction In modern society, activities within the media, as an industry of mass communications, and sports have reached an extraordinary development. Without the media and media audience, sports games and competitions would lose their substance. This makes sport an attractive and lucrative activity. Sports and mass media try to reach as many spectators, fans and consumers as possible, actively influencing the audience, as well as the advertising market (including sponsors). The positive effects of media coverage of sports are visible in the following: in education, because the audience learns about the rules of sports, in creating role models by following the activities of top athletes, which contributes to creating role models for media audiences, as well as in helping them play sports and training. Negative effects presuppose the following phenomena: a) bias (only very popular sports get a lot of media attention, and this is not helpful to people trying to affirm themselves in less popular © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 261–268, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_35
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sports); b) overload (too much sports content in the media); c) too much media exposure (sports stars often complain about too much attention being paid to their private lives). The relationship between the media and sports is reflected not only in the media promotion of sports and information about sports events and athletes, but also in the strong commercial connection between the two industries. The media helped to move sports from the amateur framework to the high-profit industry, while sports enabled the spread of media and their influence through a huge audience related to sports [2]. In that sense, it can be said that the media and sports, especially professional ones, are in a kind of symbiosis [3], from which both sides have great benefits. Let’s just give an example of a contract on the rights to broadcast sports events, which are worth millions of euros and are constantly growing. The popularization and commercialization of sports is the first benfit brought to sports by the mass media. According to Otaševi´c [4], the marketing transformation of great sporting events into spectacles has the characteristics of planetary phenomena. Such sports spectacles bring great economic benefits to the host, whether at the level of the city, region or the entire country, and on the other hand, the media, due to the introduction of licenses and fees for broadcasts, have extremely high ratings, but also economic benefits. The reciprocity of influences, as well as the benefits of this relationship, are areas of different interest. First, media coverage of sporting events is one of the important sources of income for media operators and an important factor in initiating the development of new platforms for the distribution of audiovisual content [5]. Secondly, given the social role of sports, on the one hand, and the role of mass, on the other hand, the question arises of defining the boundaries and scope of legal protection of this relationship. This issue is a major challenge for national and European regulators. Thus, in Serbia, the national source of law is the Law on Electronic Media from 2014 [6], in which Article 64 regulates “that the exclusive right to broadcast sports events has only the provider of TV broadcasting to which access is free and whose coverage area covers the entire territory of the Republic Serbia and the regulator are obliged to inform the European Commission about that. A television broadcasting service provider under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Serbia may not exclusively broadcast events that are on the list of the most important events of special importance to all citizens, in such a way that a significant part of the public in the Republic of Serbia, EU member state or signatory state to an international treaty that is obligatory to the Republic of Serbia, deprives him of the possibility of following those events”. The advantage of television broadcasting is confirmed by the findings of our research, which proved that, in addition to other electronic media, TV broadcasts of sports programs have the highest ratings. Having in mind all the above, we researched the role and importance of Serbian media in the promotion of sports. The goals of the research were to determine the attitude of research participants towards media promotion of sports and sports events in Serbian electronic media, with emphasis on television, the length of coverage of these contents, as well as satisfaction with the quality of sports reporting. The research was conducted using a survey method.
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2 Research 2.1 Research Subject, Goal and Sample The questionnaire was constructed for the purposes of this research and consists of three parts: (1) sociodemographic data, covering five questions (2); sport, covers five issues and (3) sport in the media, which covers 21 issues. The format of the answers to the items is of a mixed type, with questions with a scale of answers of the Likert type, multiple choice and open type of answers. The gender structure of the research entities is characterized by the participation of a total of 120 respondents, of which 57% were male and 43% female. The age of the respondents ranged from 18 to over 60 years, among which the largest percentage of participants was aged from 18 to 29 years (60%), then from 30 to 44 (32.5%) and between 45 and 59 years (5%), and only 2.5% of respondents in the age category over 60 years. The professional qualification of the respondents was detected through six levels of education, which are usually observed in this type of research. The participants in the research were dominated by respondents who completed basic academic studies (35.8%), followed by master studies (23.3%), and those who completed high school (29.2%). The percentage of respondents with basic vocational studies was 10.8%. Only 0.8% of research participants had the highest level of education (PhD). None of the respondents belonged to the group that had primary education. In terms of employment, the results of the survey showed that the majority of respondents are employed, that is most of them are permanently employed (64.2%), while 8.3% were unemployed. The student population was 23.3% of the research participants, and high school students constituted 2.5%. Only 1.7% of respondents belonged to the category of pensioners. The sample was selected by random method, but there is a certain disadvantage of the sample in that it was not balanced in terms of age structure. We assume that the fact that there were the fewest older respondents in the sample was conditioned by the way of surveying, ie, online surveying, which is used less often by older research participants. 2.2 Research Results Doing Sports in General. The results of the research showed that 54.2% of the research participants are engaged in sports, mostly recreationally, while 45.8% are not engaged in any sports activities. The reason why our respondents do not engage in sports activities is most often attributed to lack of time. In that sense, the respondents’ answers to the indicator that “the modern pace of life causes the lack of free time for physical activities” were also detected. The largest number of respondents (66.6%) agreed with this statement, while 30.8% of them did not accept this statement. Only 2.5% of respondents said they had no opinion on the matter.
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Informing About Sports Through the Media. When asked how much space in the media is dedicated to sports, half of the respondents (50%) answered that sport is largely represented in the media, while 40% of them were of the opinion that it is insufficient in the Serbian media. Only 10% of the participants in the research stated that they would like some other topics to be more represented in the media, which presupposes that they thought that there was too much sports content in the media. Regarding the length of exposure to sports content, more than half of the research participants (56.7%) answered that they do it for less than one hour a day, while 29.2% of them spend between two and five hours a day with sports reports. Observed on the weekly level, 6.7% of respondents follow sports events for more than ten hours a week, while 7.5% of survey participants follow these contents between five and ten hours during one week (see Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Length of viewing sports content.
The largest number of research participants stated that they most often watch sports on television (60%), both on mainstream TV channels and on specialized sports TV channels. Slightly less than a quarter of them (24.2%) watch sports on a mobile phone, while on a computer that percentage is 13.3%. The most frequently watched sports channels are the following: Arena Sport (65.8%), Sport Klub (51.7%), Eurosport (20%), Fight Channel (4.2%), SOS Channel (2.5%), Extreme Sports (1.7%) and Nova Sport (1.7%). When it comes to social networking sites, research has shown that they are also a significant source of sports information for most respondents. Survey participants most often cited the social network Facebook (71.7%), followed by Instagram (50%), while 31.7% of survey participants most often followed YouTube as a source of information about sports. A significantly lower percentage of respondents cited networks such as Reddit (0.8%), Snap Chat (0.8%) and Viber (2.4%). Research participants were of the opinion that some sports are overrepresented in the electronic media (for example, football – 88.3%, basketball – 43.3% and tennis – 49%), and some are visibly neglected (for example, table tennis – 43.3%, gymnastics – 40.8%, archery – 37.5%, handball – 22.5% and cycling – 11.7%). In addition, the results of the
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research showed that the media generally pay less attention to women’s sports (30.8%), and when they do, they mostly report only on the successes of top athletes (48.3). When it comes to the types of journalistic genres that are most attractive in sports reporting, the following answers were obtained: 24.2% of research participants prefer the documentary form of reporting, and 25% of them opted for critical analysis of sports events, athletes and sports policy. About 28% of respondents prefer to follow personal conversations (interviews) with athletes, while a fifth (20.8%) of research participants opted for highlights form, i.e. a shortened version of sporting events (see Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. The most popular media genres in sports reporting.
Sports Journalists and Sports Journalism. One of the most common forms of media writing is sports journalism. Today, sports journalism is an important part of the media industry. Among the main actors in the world of sports, apart from athletes, are also sports journalists whose work pretty much conditions the success of sports newsrooms. Sports journalists, although ridiculed in the early days of sports journalism for not being “serious writers”, have become significant factors in a multibillion-dollar industry. In this sense, it can be said that “sports journalism is a special type of journalism that announces, transmits, comments and analyzes sports events and related topics after they are completed, and an indispensable part of this process are: sports events, information, media and sports journalists” [7]. When asked how they evaluate the work of sports journalists in the domestic media, 23.3% of survey participants were of the opinion that they are well informed and professionally competent. More than a third of the respondents (37.5%) were more critical, and rated the work of sports journalists as average, while 15% of them thought that Serbian media journalism was not at the required professional level. A significant percentage of respondents – 24.2% could not assess the quality of work of sports journalists, although, with varying frequency, they follow sports content in the media (see Fig. 3).
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Fig. 3. Competence of sports journalists.
When it comes to sources of sports information, the question is whether there is too much news in media reporting on sports that is directly downloaded from digital media sources. Less than half of the research participants (41.7%) thought that this statement was true. A quarter of the respondents, 25.8% of them, did not agree with the stated statement, believing that it was a general trend in journalism, primarily in the mainstream media. The same percentage of survey participants (25.8%) could not answer this question, given that they were not familiar with authentic sources of information. Respondents’ opinions were divided on whether the direct download of sports information from digital media undermines the possibility of investigative journalism and the authenticity of the journalistic story. According to the obtained results of the research, 34.2% of the respondents thought that the stated statement was true, believing that it violated the professional autonomy of the sports journalist. According to the responses of 16.7% of survey participants, a journalist reporting on sporting events is generally unable to verify downloaded information. One fifth of the respondents, 25.0% of them, were of the opinion that the use of information from digital media achieves the speed of reporting, and that this is a general trend of media reporting, especially in the mainstream media. Although the majority of survey participants (58.3%) had the opinion that sports reporting has become much more efficient and extensive in terms of content, thanks to social media, as well as official announcements of sports organizations or athletes, about 40% of survey participants expressed a more critical attitude. Namely, these respondents were of the opinion that professional sports journalists no longer have enough space to independently and critically evaluate a certain sports event, given that the information was “served” to them in a way that suits sports organizations or the athletes themselves. Considering that women – sports journalists – are slowly entering media sports journalism, we also investigated this phenomenon. The results of the research showed that 35.8% of respondents thought that sports journalism should not be “reserved” only for men, nor that they have more trust in the reports of a male sports journalist (34.2%). However, about 6.0% of survey participants disagreed, stating explicitly that male sports journalists are still better and more professionally reliable. Let us add 20% of those who were undecided on this issue to this group of respondents, which can be interpreted in
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two ways: either as a form of having insufficient information or as a certain resistance to female journalism in sports. Finally, it was inevitable to ask the question about the status of sports journalists in relation to journalists specialized in others, the so-called more serious areas. One third of respondents (32.5%) were undecided about the claim that sports journalists were underestimated in relation to journalists covering other areas, while 29.2% of them did not agree with this statement. Nevertheless, about 8% of survey participants were of the opinion that sports journalists do not have a sufficiently recognized status in the overall journalism industry (Table 1). Table 1. Attitudes of research participants about sports journalism. Claims
Disagree %
Undecided %
Agree %
Strongly agree %
It would be more helpful for the development of sports if sports journalists had greater freedom to present the essence of the problem in the field of sports
Strongly disagree % 6.6
9.2
31.7
40
12.5
Some sports journalists have reached the level of the most credible sources of information about sports
5.9
14,2
41
33
5.9
Sports journalism should be a field dominated by men
35.8
33.3
14.2
10.8
5.9
I value the views and opinions of a male sports journalist more than a female journalist
34.2
31.7
20
8.3
5.8
Sports journalists are 17.5 underestimated compared to journalists who cover other areas
29.2
32.5
13.3
7.5
3 Discussion and Conclusion Media and sport are indisputably linked. Mass media encourage general visibility and attractiveness of sports. Research on the role of the media in the promotion of sports has shown that sports are represented in the media in a high percentage compared to
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other content, and that the media audience is most often informed about sports topics by watching TV shows or specialized TV channels, as well as through social networks. Our research confirmed that most of the participants in the research, in addition to traditional media, also use social networking sites to follow sports, sports events and sports personalities. Respondents showed some criticism of the lack of space for sports journalism on social networking sites. Also encouraging is the data that most respondents were of the opinion that a profession such as sports journalism is no longer the privilege of only men and support the entry of female sports journalists into media coverage of sports. The economic aspect of the symbiosis of sports and media is a key reference point for the further development of television stations. That fact connected sport with marketing and sponsors. The media thus included equipment manufacturers and athletes in the promotion of sports, and introduced them to the general promotion. However, the existence of a negative influence of the media on sports can also be noticed from the research. Namely, the media imposes the logic of entertainment for the widest audience. This is reflected in favoring sports, such as football, basketball or tennis, using their more fun character. Favoring these types of sports, by providing longer broadcast time in the program, opens up more space for the influence of advertising agencies and sports equipment manufacturers. This has led to the media focus being not only on sporting events but also on top athletes, who are constantly under pressure from the media due to their high salaries, that often use tabloid principles of journalistic reporting in their stories.
References 1. European Charter of Women’s Rights in Sports (2011). http://www.uisp.it/nazionale/aree/pol itichegenere/files/CHART_ENGLISH.pdf. Accessed 14 June 2020 2. Nicholson, M.: Sport and the Media: Managing the Nexus. Elsevier, Oxford (2007) 3. Beck, D., Bosshart, L.: Sports and media. Commun. Res. Trends 22(3), 3–27 (2003) 4. Otaševi´c, B., Otaševi´c, J.: Nasilje u sportu i medijska propra´cenost [Violence in sports and media coverage]. Pravni život. 9, 525–538 (2014) 5. Blázquez, F.J.C., Cappello, M., Fontaine, G., Valais, S.: Audiovisual sports rights – between exclusivity and right to information. European Audiovisual Observatory, Strasbourg (2016) 6. Zakon o elektronskim medijima propra´cenost [Law on Electronic Media]. “Službeni glasnik RS”, br. 83/2014 i 6/2016 [“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, no. 83/2014 and 6/2016], https://www.paragraf.rs/propisi/zakon_o_elektronskim_medijima.html. Accessed 15 May 2020 7. Vasilj, M.: Sportsko novinarstvo [Sports journalism]. Synopsis, Zagreb (2014)
Lean Approach to Lead Time Reduction in MTO Manufacturing: A Case Study Ivona Jovanovi´c(B) , Ivan Tomaševi´c, Dragana Stojanovi´c, Barbara Simeunovi´c, and Dragoslav Slovi´c Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, Beograd, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. In order to improve operational performance, many companies adopted lean approach in their manufacturing processes. Although most of those companies revealed to be effective in lean implementation, small and medium-sized maketo-order (MTO) companies, faced with high mix and low volume production, had difficulties to implement lean. The mix of orders and the specific demands of every customer can increase the time from the placement of an order to the delivery to a customer. In that case, lead time can be long since the process typically includes steps such as ordering/sales, design, adjustment, procurement, production, assembly, delivery and installation. In order to reduce lead time in manufacturing processes, implementation of lean approach can be of great benefit. For that purpose, this paper analyzes lean approach applicability to MTO companies. The paper presents the implementation of lean in MTO manufacturing company that deals with the production of custom furniture. The results were obtained through systematic identification and elimination of wastes in all phases of the process, and show that significant lead time reduction can be achieved through lean implementation in MTO manufacturing. Keywords: Lean approach · Make-to-order · Lead time
1 Introduction Lean approach has been receiving attention lately from lots of companies. The lean approach has its origins in Japanese car plants, when their manufacturers realized that they failed to manage a huge investment in rebuilding existing facilities [2, 7]. According to the Kazancoglu [6] the lean approach can be defined as a methodology for eliminating waste, improving satisfaction and continuous improvements of processes in companies. Many authors have documented various quantitative and qualitative benefits of implementation of lean concept, such as improvement in lead time reduction, increasing job satisfaction, establishing standardized operations, etc. However, the possibilities of lean implementation in make-to-order (MTO) companies differs significantly from the surroundings lean was originally developed in. Although there is an interest for MTO context relative to implementation of lean approach, the literature on lean approach implementation in MTO companies stays limited compared to repetitive manufacturing [11]. For © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 269–277, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_36
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this purpose, this research investigates in more detail and analyze the possibilities of lean methodologies implementation in the special areas of MTO environment. Lean approach generally comes from product-focused, repetitive, and to-stock type of manufacturing, categorized by stable demand for high volumes of similar products [11, 15]. These companies produce products for stock according to demand forecasts and with low costs, so the products are defined long before the customer makes the order [9, 14]. On the other hand, MTO products contains a large set of pre-defined factors that the customer can choose, so the product will be manufactured according to the selected configuration [8]. It is characterized by unpredictable demand of often customized products where each product may have different process flow and processing times. Production process in MTO companies is performed in a special way, because customers are offered a product that is made according to their requirements, so they are specific in organizing the entire production. As customer is involved in all phases of the internal supply chain phases (e.g. design, procurement, delivery and installation etc.), cumulative lead times can be very long. Since short lead times are order winning characteristic in MTO industry, it is important to explore possibilities for lead time reduction through lean implementation [4]. However, recent research shows that lean implementation in MTO manufacturing mostly targets shop-floor, while other phases of internal supply chain, that can constitute a large portion of a total lead time, remain largely unaddressed [11]. In order to fill this gap, this research aims to investigate how lead time in MTO manufacturing can be reduced by extending lean implementation beyond shop-floor, and directing it to all phases of internal supply chain simultaneously. This research was conducted as follows: the second section will be based on theoretical background of lean approach and lean implementation applicability to MTO companies. The third section propose research methodology choosen for case study in manufacturing company. Results of the research are presented in section four, which will be followed by conclusion in fifth section.
2 Theoretical Background Lean concept came from Japan from Toyota company as approach for production improvement. Lean gives attention to how the value in processes is produced, but not all activities that occur in a company adds value. The value is defined by the user, and is expressed by the performance of the product, which most often refers to the quality of the product, price and delivery time [10]. Also, the five lean principles can help a company to [1, 15]: identify the value of the process, identify the process flow, eliminate many types of waste, optimize the process flow and pursue perfection through continuous improvement. Lean approach is a philosophy that focuses on removing wastes from processes and shortens lead times by eliminating wastes between ordering and delivering product to the customer [12, 15]. According to lean approach, the production without waste requires less investment in resources, shorter lead time, less stocks, etc. As a basis for defining waste, it is necessary to classify the activities of the company as [5]: value adding, non-value adding and necessary non-value adding activity. Many companies have also implemented different methods of improvement like just-in-time, kaizen, kanban, poka-yoke, which can be the solution in the long run for process improvement and lead time reduction.
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For small and medium-sized companies, lean is a good opportunity to improve production efficiency, because they offer continuous improvement in addition to what is very important for the company - low costs. Most frequently, the weaknesses of the company are mostly reflected in the production process at the workplace. Lean production process is primarily focusing on producing only certain quantities of those products that can be sold on the market [12]. Therefore, quality, lead time and price are variable and depend on the specific requirements of the customer. In the case of MTO production, the unpredictability of customer requirements and the adjustment to their requirements results in the unpredictability of demand, production cycle and lead time. It is characterised by low volumes of often unique products that require product design, which would require the procurement of specific material, production of a unique product, delivery and installation [3]. Products are often configured to contain large set of pre-defined elements that customer can choose [14]. The response time to the user’s request is longer with such production systems, because its lead time consists of the time required for the product design, procurement of materials, the production time and the time required for the delivery of the finished product [10]. On the other hand, the customer expects to get the product in the shortest possible lead time, so the companies needs to fulfill the requirements of customers to achieve flexibly in shorter lead times to remain competitive [3, 16]. This causes the need for a company to improve its business in order to achieve the expected results.
3 Research Methodology The case study was choosen as a methodology for this research. The case research can provide the full understanding of complexity and nature of the observed phenomenon, through relevant theory and exploratory investigations where the variables are still unknown or not at all understandable [13]. The review of literature supports the case research and the need to investigate the lean approach applicability in MTO environment for lead time reduction. This study observes whole internal supply chain in the case company, for ordering process to the delivery and installation of a final product. Each process in supply chain was analyzed from adding-value aspect to identify problems and give potential directions for waste elimination and process improvement in MTO manufacturing company, in order to reduce lead time reduction. The observed case company is a small sized enterprise, which makes different types of furniture. All the products are designed and manufactured based on the customer orders and their requirements. This approach gives company competitive advantage, because making the high customized products have an added value that distinguishes them from standard pieces of furniture. In this company the production of every product begins when there is a direct order from the customer so products are unique. Also, this production system produces different products in small volumes. For that purpose, it is necessary to find a way to achieve balance between available capacities, stocks and customer requirements. Unpredictability and variations in demand as a consequence have instability in the range of products offered, as well as in the volume of production [10]. The causes are variations in the amount of product that needs to be produced with each new order, as well as in the time at which new orders arrive. Because of that, the
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company tends to minimize the lead time required for every order. This research intend to investigate the main causes for long lead time in supply chain of the company. Problems mostly occur because of the wastes in processes, so the directions for their elimination were identified through this research.
4 Results Within the observed company, the lead time of the order includes the time from the receipt of the customer’s order to the moment when the products are delivered and installed. The core business processes include the core processes Ordering, Product design, Adjustment, Procurement, Production, Assembly, Delivery and installation. In Table 1 is given the description of basic activities for every core process. Table 1. Overview of core processes in company Core processes
Basic activities in process
Ordering
Receiving the order for the product from customer, negotiation and making the specification of desired product. The process includes making preliminary drawing, material selection and selection of additional elements. Negotiation can be done in the store or at the customer, depends of their requests
Product design
Design of product and products elements, creating documents for following processes, such as Bill of material and Cutting list. Customized elements take longer to design in the product design process. The design process depends on the ordering process, because of the customer requests
Adjustment
It includes final checks, approvals and change requests from the customer side. This may result in some changes in product specifications and documents made in the previous processes
Procurement
Purchasing of elements according to Bill of material and Cutting list. Some products have standard elements which will always be required and they are on stock. Other elements must be purchased when the order, design and adjustment is completed
Production
Four main phases can be distinguished: tailoring, machining, varnishing and assembly of elements. This process includes supporting processes: technological and operational preparation, planning, and storage of elements
Assembly
Assembly of final product according to the product documents. This process depends on product specifications and often assembly has no predefined steps for any of the products
Delivery and installation
Packing, shipping, installation and finishing works on a final product
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Core processes
The ordering process is key for establishing cooperation between the company and the customer and ensuring the future processes. When the ordering process is finished, the following process of product design is closely linked with the production by generating the Bill of material and cutting list used for procurement, and for developing the documents needed for production and assembly of the product. Their application enables grouping of the same or similar elements that are made of the same material, according to the same technological procedure, in order to organize small series instead of individual production of parts. In MTO production, during the production process can be found repeating activities. Every order may include parts and elements that are standardized, or that have never been developed before. For example, drilling holes in kitchen doors and assembling handles when making a kitchen is an activity that is repeated for each kitchen part. On the other hand, production planning in the observed company includes setting deadlines for the beginning and completion of work on product development, resource planning for the start of the production process and planning the preparation of input raw materials, the necessary tools and documentation. It is necessary to make a time plan from the beginning to the end of all operations in the production process. The goal of both the company and the customer is to minimize the lead time required to deliver the finished product. In order to determine the lead time of making product, Fig. 1 gives the estimated duration of all phases necessary for the realization of one order, for producing a custom-made kitchen. Delivery and installation Assembly Production Procurement Adjustment Product design Ordering
3 4 48 16 8 4 3
Required time in hours Fig. 1. Required time for one order in hours
During the analysis situation of the process, different value-adding, non-value-adding and necessary activities can be identified. Analysing the wastes in processes, certain problems were identified, which can be significant during the implementation of lean approach in MTO company. The adding-value activities in core processes are: • Ordering - defining design, elements, materials and built-in elements; defining contract conditions; taking accurate measures. • Product design - elaboration of product design; product design in a program; making Bill of material and cutting list. • Adjustment - customer confirmation.
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• Procurement - making time plan for procurement according to product prioritization; purchasing on time according to production start. • Production - making a term plan; job preparation; tailoring, machine processing, painting and/or varnishing, assembly of elements. • Assembly - product assembly; packing of transport elements. • Delivery and installation - transport of product; product payment; installation. Table 2 indicates sources of waste affecting lead time in the MTO activities. The directions for waste elimination have been developed based on the lean approach, which will achieve lead time reduction. Table 2. Directions for waste elimination and lead time reduction in MTO core processes Core processes
Wastes affecting lead time in MTO core processes
Directions for waste elimination and lead time reduction
Ordering
Negotiation about the product specifications
Defining instructions for the ordering process that will reduce time with the customer. Standardize documentation based on previous orders with similar specifications
Indecision about material and design
Making a form that the customer can fill out online before the meeting
Re-measuring due to the inaccuracies
Define quality check points before the final product specification
Transformation of contract into product specifications
Establish software compatibility with product design and documentation, which is an important factor for software implementation
Adjustment with the spatial layout
Involve production department in product design to reduce the possibilities for wastes and defects in production
Product design
Adjustment
(continued)
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Table 2. (continued) Core processes
Wastes affecting lead time in MTO core processes
Directions for waste elimination and lead time reduction
Customer wants the correction Establish experience-based of design learning processes. Improve the negotiation process by considering problems that have occurred in the past in design and adjustment process Procurement
Lack of material in stock
Define the procurement according to the lead time. Predicting the demand for frequently used material for stock, so the procurement can be realized before demand arises
Production
Preparation is not adequately done, so the production is waiting
Digitalize access to work instructions and product documents. Reduce the time spend for preparing for the process, looking for materials, tools and product documents needs for production of a product
Lack of materials for production
Provide the items with long lead time on time, in order to ensure availability before production start
Non-compliance with the plan Make a production time plan according to the product prioritization and available production time Variations in production
Define standardized operations for similar customized products as much as possible
Assembly
Corrections if the elements do Define quality check points before not fit the final product is delivered. Establish synchronization with the production
Delivery and installation
Additional requirements
Consulting with the customer before delivery and installation
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Core processes
Each of the direction for waste elimination and lead time reduction presented are developed to solve a specific critical source of waste. By applying the proposals for eliminating waste, maintaining the orderliness of the workplace, applying the standard operation and the proposed solutions, it is possible to significantly reduce the lead time required for the realization of the order. In order to determine the benefits of their implementation, possible time savings were estimated (Fig. 2). After the realized time savings, the total lead time would be reduced from 86 h to 70 h. Delivery and installaon Assembly Producon Procurement Adjustment Product design Ordering
3 4 45 8 4 3 3
Fig. 2. Estimated lead time reduction after waste elimination for one order
5 Conclusion In order to reduce lead time in manufacturing processes, implementation of lean approach can be of great benefit. For that purpose, this paper analyzes lead time reduction in case company that deals with the production of custom furniture using lean approach. This research identified a set of critical wastes in core processes affecting lead time in MTO company. Also, the contribution of this research is elimination of wastes in whole internal supply chain, not only shop-floor level, which contributes lead time reduction. The identification and elimination of wastes in processes needs to be based on a good knowledge of the enterprise, so the problems and their causes can be identified. The result showed that waste elimination has positive influence on lead time reduction. By focusing on the entire internal supply chain, the lead time could be reduced up to 16 h, while focusing only on production (shop-floor), the lead time would be reduced for 3 h. As MTO is very complex, limitations of this paper are that the research was applied only in one company and it was briefly applied. So the extended analysis of the case company can be made, because there is still large potential for lead time reduction and reduction of costs. Besides that, with the extended research and implementation of different improvement technologies in case company, proposed solution should give a synergetic approach for lead time reduction and can bring more improvements. Also, further research should include the application of this methodology in other companies to make a comparison of benefits related to the reduction of lead times and costs, so that more conclusions can be drawn at all.
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The Outcomes of Lean Implementation in High-Mix/Low-Volume Industry – Literature Review Ivan Tomaševi´c(B) , Dragana Stojanovi´c, Barbara Simeunovi´c, Ivona Jovanovi´c, and Dragoslav Slovi´c Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. Many companies in the world have used lean to achieve significant improvements in both efficiency and effectiveness. However, most evidence of lean implementation stem from manufacturing environment similar to one lean was developed in, i.e. product-focused and to-stock Low-Mix/High-Volume (LMHV) manufacturing. High-Mix/Low-Volume (HMLV) industry, on the other hand, is usually process-focused, with to-order manufacturing, and as such it comes with specific set of goals and priorities, and possibly different set of lean implementation outcomes. This paper aims at investigating the outcomes of lean implementation with a specific focus on High-Mix/Low-Volume. For this purpose, a systematic literature review procedure was conducted, in order to analyze implementation reports from state-of-the-art literature. The results show that HMLV companies mostly report efficiency related, easily quantifiable outcomes, stressing the positive side of lean. What literature lacks to report are intermediary outcomes (e.g. better understanding of processes, teamwork and collaboration, problem solving abilities), as well as results regarding customer satisfaction. In addition, reports also lack the issue of outcomes sustainability, as most papers show evidence from short-term case studies. Keywords: Lean implementation · High-mix/low-volume · Systematic literature review
1 Introduction Since its inception, many companies have implemented lean with the goal to improve their efficiency [1, 6]. Most evidence of successful lean implementation come from product-focused, repetitive, and to-stock manufacturing, characterized by relatively stable demand for high volumes of similar products (Low-Mix/High-Volume or LMHV industry) [6, 7, 15]. On the other hand, evidence regarding lean implementation in HighMix/Low-Volume (HMLV) industry is scarce. Specificities of this type of industry (e.g. unpredictable demand for low volumes of customized products, to-order manufacturing, and process-focused production systems) require specific set of goals, to better reflect peculiarities of the environment. In turn, different set of goals should contextualize © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 278–285, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_37
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the desired outcomes of lean initiatives. Ref. [30] states that the contextual factors of manufacturing environment might affect the relevance of lean, as HMLV manufacturers usually don’t consider efficiency to be competing advantage, but are rather focused on flexibility. While there are articles reporting successful lean implementation [22, 23], their number is still limited compared to LMHV industry. There have been many literature reviews on lean [19, 21, 28], but none with focus on HMLV industry, especially not on the outcomes of lean implementation in HMLV industry. Ref. [17] claims that exploring possibilities of lean implementation in low volume industries will become one of the key topics in future research. Systematic literature reviews are important in guiding future research endeavors, both in addressing new issues and old issues in new context (e.g. context of lean in HMLV industry), as they help building a coherent lean body of knowledge [10]. For this reason, we decided to investigate the outcomes of lean implementation with a specific focus on High-Mix/LowVolume. For this purpose, a systematic literature review procedure was conducted, in order to analyze implementation reports from state-of-the-art literature. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows: Sect. 2 describes systematic literature review method used in this study. Section 3 presents the results of the analysis. Discussion of the results and directions for future research are presented in Sect. 4, followed by conclusion in Sect. 5.
2 Research Methodology – Systematic Literature Review We started the research by asking ‘what are the outcomes of lean implementation in HMLV industry?’. To answer this question, we followed the systematic literature review procedure, as proposed by Ref. [39]. 2.1 Planning the Review For this review, we used two abstract and citation databases, Scopus and Web of Science, as they are often used in literature reviews [2, 38]. We searched articles and articles in press to maintain high level of quality of the source material. Two sets of keywords were used to capture heterogeneity of lean and HMLV industry. First set included the following keywords: ‘lean’, ‘Toyota Production System’, ‘TPS’, ‘World Class Manufacturing’, and ‘WMC’. Second set considered HMLV industry, and consisted of following terms: ‘job shop’, ‘make to order’, ‘engineer to order’, ‘high mix low volume’, ‘high variety’, and ‘non-repetitive’. The association rule for combining keywords from two sets was ‘AND’ (e.g. ‘lean’ AND ‘job shop’). Search was restricted to title, abstract, and keywords of the paper. 2.2 Conducting a Review The search yielded 267 articles. After removing duplicated and papers not relevant for the topic of this research, the sample was reduced to 123 articles, of which 104 could be retrieved. Snowballing procedure yielded 6 additional articles, added to sample, summing it up to 110 articles. Finally, from this sample we extracted articles that used case
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study (single and multiple), field study, and action research as a research methodology. This reduced our final sample to 59 articles. All articles from the final sample were analyzed in detail. For each of the papers, following questions were asked: Is there a formal model for lean implementation? What are the outcomes of lean implementation? Are outcomes anecdotal of quantifiable? How are the outcomes achieved?
3 Results of the Literature Review Out of 59 cases, 26 (44%) present a framework for lean implementation, all of them being verified in one or more HMLV companies. With 21 (36%) cases it is not explicitly clear what are the outcomes of lean implementation. Finally, 38 papers present outcomes of successful lean implementation, 28 of them quantifiable and 10 anecdotal. For the purpose of this study, the outcomes were divided into five categories: (i) time-related outcomes; (ii) cost-related outcomes; (iii) quality related outcomes; (iv) productivityrelated outcomes; and (v) general waste-related outcomes. The distribution of outcomes in the sample is summarized in Fig. 1.
30 25 Number of reports
25 20 15 9
10
6
6 3
5 0 Time
Cost
Quality Productivity Category of outcome
Waste
Fig. 1. Number of outcome reports per outcome category (Note that one case can report outcomes in several categories)
3.1 Time-Related Outcomes Most cases report some sort of time-related outcome of lean implementation. Frequent time-related outcome is lead time reduction. This is expected, as short lead times are one of competitive advantages in HMLV industry. The results show reductions by as low as 17% [35], up to as high as 76% [5]. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is commonly used as a diagnostic tool to identify potentials for lead time reduction. Lead time reduction
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is mostly achieved through non-value added activities (NVA) removal [9, 14, 32, 35] or through implementation of pull system that effectively decreases the amount of workin-process (WIP) [5, 31, 36]. As replenishment pull (e.g. Kanban) is hard to implement in HMLV industry [13, 23], authors often opt for simpler solutions more suitable for specific environment, e.g. CONWIP [5, 36]. Most lead time reduction efforts are focused on shop-floor, with only one report extending lead time reduction to entire internal supply chain [4]. Authors often assume that it is possible to identify product families, that cycle times and takt time are fairly constant, that product routings are fixed, which is often not possible in HMLV industry. Due date adherence and improved on-time delivery are also reported, usually as a consequence of a shorter lead time, as material flow becomes more transparent, throughput more predictable, and due date quoting more easy [4, 8], and the results can be significant [4, 33]. 3.2 Cost-Related Outcomes Out of 59 cases, 6 report some form of cost saving. Ref. [23] reports that cost savings are due to lower labor requirements, while other papers don’t give the structure of cost savings [4, 6, 34]. Most cases report cost savings at around 10%. However, Ref. [4] shows that cost savings can be significantly higher (around 50%) if lean implementation efforts are distributed throughout entire internal supply chain, and not just shop-floor. 3.3 Quality-Related Outcomes Ref. [23] states that quality if hard to embed in processes in HMLV industry, due to low repetitiveness which makes them hard to perfect. Authors claim that some quality improvements have been made, but it is not clear how they have been achieved. Ref. [4] also doesn’t provide explicit quality improvement data, but states that after lean implementation quality cost was lowered to 1% of sale. Other authors report 10–30% reduction in defects, achieved through standardized work and NVA reduction [18, 32]. However, this approach requires product mix reduction to some extent. 3.4 Productivity-Related Outcomes Higher productivity is usually reported as increased output [16, 26, 27] or lower labor costs [12, 23]. Higher levels of productivity are achieved through cell manufacturing [19, 20], line balancing that leads to greater resource utilization [26, 27], or assimilation to flow lines [12, 16]. It is interesting to note that propositions for productivity improvement effectively bring HMLV manufacturing closer to repetitive production systems, which in turn can be detrimental to flexibility. Ref. [18] reports 20% productivity increase, but doesn’t elaborate further how productivity is calculated. 3.5 Waste-Related Outcomes Only three cases report outcomes that are related to general waste reduction. Waste is defined in traditional terms, e.g. seven wastes [3, 29, 32], or activities that do not add
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value to customers [11]. The results report reduced inventories, shorter transport, less waiting, and are mostly anecdotal. In addition, waste is analyzed without deeper contextual considerations, as things that are wasteful in LMHV industry can be considered asset in HMLV industry (e.g. excess capacity).
4 Discussion Current research mostly shows positive side of lean, while inhibiting factors for lean outcomes remain unaddressed. This could be detrimental to lean implementation, as false conclusion can be drawn that every lean implementation in HMLV industry leads to positive outcomes. Most outcomes are in regard to efficiency, i.e. greater output with fewer resources. However, HMLV manufacturers often compete through flexibility, in order to meet frequent requirement changes from the customers. Consequently, high efficiency might not be as relevant as it is in LMHV industry [30]. In addition, efficiency usually requires some sort of specialization, which can negatively affect flexibility. This means that HMLV environment is often simplified and assimilated (usually by reducing product mix, or focusing on a very narrow set of products) to LMHV environment, making it more suitable for ‘traditional’ lean implementation. This simplification requires some assumptions that are often not feasible in HMLV industry (e.g. the existing of products families or relatively stable manufacturing environment) [25], and it neglects some important contextual factors, e.g. resource sharing and alternative routings [3]. This stresses the importance of considering a set of goals wisely, while reflecting on specificities of HMLV manufacturing environment [40]. This approach fully utilizes lean implementation potential, rather than copying implementation frameworks and desired outcomes from LMHV industry. The results show that current research is focused on easily quantifiable outcomes, such as lead time, on-time delivery, and productivity. What current research vastly neglects are intermediate outcomes, such as employee engagement, better process understanding, teamwork, improved problem solving. In addition, little attention is given to customer satisfaction, and how it is affected by lean implementation. Lean implementation in HMLV industry is case specific, and implementation frameworks used in literature propose different approaches with different combination of lean tools. This makes comparison difficult, as well as drawing the analogy between different lean implementation cases and their outcomes. Consequently, it is difficult to compare the outcomes themselves, and it is problematic to generalize causality and correlation between different lean practices and outcomes. In addition, most papers present results obtained through short-term case studies, making drawing conclusions regarding sustainability of outcomes over longer periods of time difficult. Finally, most outcomes are a result of shop-floor related intervention. This is a shortcoming of existing literature, as other (transactional) processes present huge source of both inefficiency and ineffectiveness, as internal supply chain in HMLV industry can be highly complex [24, 37]. As waste propagates throughout internal supply chain, it would be favorable to explore how lean implementation outcomes from one stage of the internal supply chain affect the outcomes from subsequent stages (or how waste from one stage affects waste creation in other stages). In addition, integrative lean practices
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implementation throughout the internal supply chain can enable better sustainability of the outcomes [4]. Based on the results of the review, and the discussion presented previously, we have summarized potential for future research regarding lean implementation outcomes in HMLV industry in Table 1. Table 1. Directions for future research Research topic
Current situation
Future research
Type of lean implementation outcome
Outcomes oriented towards efficiency
How can lean implementation affect flexibility in HMLV industry
Lean implementation outcomes Exploring intermediate goals of are easily quantifiable lean implementation, include customer satisfaction
How lean implementation outcomes are achieved
How are outcomes of lean implementation sustained
Goals emulated from LMHV environment
Exploring HMLV contextual factors when devising goals
Case specific lean implementation which hinders generalization of outcomes
Theory based generalized frameworks that could facilitate outcome comparison
Assimilation by changing context to resemble more LMHV environment
Lean implementation approach that fully recognizes contextual factors of HMLV industry
Outcomes support only positive Exploring the inhibitors that side of lean could affect the outcomes Short-term case studies, difficult to assess sustainability
Longitudinal case studies to corroborate sustainability of outcomes
Focus on shop-floor
Extending lean implementation to entire internal supply chain
5 Conclusion This study shows that the goals of lean implementation are modeled according to LMHV industry, while important HMLV contextual factors are neglected. The outcomes are predominantly efficiency related, while the impact of lean implementation on flexibility is disregarded. The outcomes show positive side of lean, are easily quantifiable, and often achieved through some sort of assimilation, while intermediate outcomes and outcomes in regard to customer satisfaction are not reported. There’s little evidence of sustainability of lean implementation outcomes, as results are usually tracked over a short period of time. Possibilities for future research include exploring contextual factors when considering lean implementation and desired outcomes, extending the implementation to entire internal supply chain, analyzing outcome inhibitors, and longitudinal studies to corroborate sustainability of the outcomes.
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Evaluation of the Complexity of Cognitive-Oriented Tasks in Planned Maintenance Procedures Andrea Lucchese, Antonella Marino(B) , Giorgio Mossa, and Giovanni Mummolo Department of Mechanics, Mathematics and Management, Polytechnic University of Bari, Via Edoardo Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy [email protected]
Abstract. A core aspect of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is the continuous communication between humans, machines and products enabled by cyber-physical production systems. The high complexity of tasks to be processed require an increasing cognitive effort. Under this perspective, the maintenance procedures are changing. Maintenances activities in I4.0 context can be considered as complex decisionmaking processes where the best option to solve problems is strongly affected by the capacity of the operator to quickly process the given information. The purpose of the paper consists to evaluate the complexity of cognitive-oriented tasks that must be performed by operators in planned maintenance procedures. At this scope, the joint adoption of the TACOM measure and the graph theory is pursued. The proposed methodology is tested on different planned maintenance procedures related to automotive and mechanical production sectors. The results showed a strong correlation between graph structures in terms of both the number of events and links, and the cognitive demand required for the information processing. Keywords: Decision-making · Mental workload · Maintenance procedure · Task complexity
1 Introduction Maintenance in Industry 4.0 plays a strategic role through programming, control and intervention activities that are related to the performance of industrial production systems. The digitalization of processes within Industry 4.0 gives innovative solutions and ways to manage critical business issues. Augmented reality (AR), for example, can be used to provide to maintenance operators a technical assistance service to be used during intervention activities [1]. The phenomenon of technological development in the field of maintenance is characterized by a zero-fault production in which an attempt is made to reduce the number of interventions to a minimum, with a view to autonomous production [2]. In highly automated industrial companies, the focus has moved from physical to cognitive tasks: operators are in fact strongly required to be flexible and able
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to adapt to changes in the external environment [3]. The human factor is a key driver in the maintenance system: the operators are the real decision-makers and problem-solvers [4]. Operators face with complex scenarios in which they are required to identify the causes of failure in time and to take the right actions to solve the fault. The assessment of decision-making alternatives is linked to the ability of operators to process the information provided. Industrial procedures are the components that provide operators with the information needed to solve a problem. The variability of maintenance actions requires operators to make a cognitive effort [5]. The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the complexity of tasks of maintenance procedures through Task Complexity measure (TACOM) [6] and graph theory. The paper is structured as follows: the literature review is explained in Sect. 2; the numerical simulation with results are provided and discussed in Sect. 3; finally the conclusions are presented in Sect. 4.
2 Literature Review 2.1 Mental Workload of Operators in Decision-Making Industry 4.0 defines a clear trend in increasing the productivity of Industrial Systems by the joint adoption of technological and human paradigms. In this context, the real challenge lies in the effective use of technology and therefore in the ability to have a workforce capable of acting promptly based on the use of computer tools, analysis and data processing capabilities. The interaction and execution of complex operations require a high cognitive demand for operators based on the understanding of data, reasoning and the ability to choose the best option during decision-making processes [7, 8]. The complexity of tasks has a direct effect on the mental workload and the perception of risk. Salvendy defines the mental workload as the exhaustion of internal human resources that are necessary to carry out a working activity [9]. In maintenance, many errors are caused by tasks that are too complex to perform, inadequate maintenance procedures or inappropriate training and experience of operators. The process of troubleshooting a fault is classified as a highly cognitive process as it requires operators to have multidisciplinary skills, high training and a suitable capacity of analysis and action [10, 11]. The evaluation of different decision-making alternatives during the execution of maintenance procedures, depends on the human ability to judge the different options and to make the most appropriate choice. Therefore, the real difficulty consists of the ability to support the operator during the decision-making process. The definition of the set of actions and the sequence of activities to be performed throughout the production process is functional to outline the operational framework. 2.2 Assessment of Maintenance Procedures Through Graph Theory and Task Complexity The assessment of the complexity of tasks of maintenance procedures is the purpose of this study. Understanding the workload required by operators to perform maintenance tasks, allows to understand whether they are suitable to execute tasks in the right way and time. More complex the task is, more alternatives operators will have to analyse. The
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effectiveness of maintenance teams willing to solve a particular problem is related to the amount of information provided and the ability of operators to process instructions [12]. Procedures in the business environment provide operators the set of tasks to be implemented for a given plant, machine or component. In the literature it is reported that operators in carrying out maintenance activities take between 15% and 30% of the total intervention time to search information for decision-making processes [13]. The availability of maintenance procedures therefore has a direct impact on downtime and consequently on the total efficiency of the production system. For this reason, it is necessary to provide ways of accomplishing tasks in a structured manner that is appropriate to the task that the operator is called to perform. Sharing data and experience related to the operation of equipment would make the execution of tasks easier from the cognitive perspective [1, 2, 14]. A maintenance procedure can be represented through graph theory. The graph is a useful tool to diagram the succession of activities for the performance of a task. In particular, thanks to the graphic representation of a procedure, it is possible to evaluate the level of complexity of operations and the number of decisional alternatives that operators have to analyse in decision-making processes [12]. To evaluate the information content of an arbitrary network, some researchers rely on the metric properties of graphs, others explain the relationship between information content and entropy through information-theoretic measures [15]. In general, each graph can be used to characterize a set of information according to Shannon’s abstract definition [16–18]. The TACOM measure evaluates the complexity of the task in the implementation of guided procedures with an analytical method that uses the concept of Shannon entropy on graph [19] and it is expressed in bit unit as it is based on the graph entropy [17]. The TACOM value is based on five sub-measures that are necessary to quantify the task complexity of operating procedures. The five factors are calculated through the definition of entropy of a graph [20]. Step Information Complexity (SIC) explains the complexity of tasks based on the amount of information which must be processed during operations. Step Logic Complexity (SLC) and Step Size Complexity (SSC) evaluate the complexity of tasks through the number and sequence of actions that operators must be performed. Finally, Abstraction Hierarchy Complexity (AHC) and Engineering Decision Complexity (EDC) express the knowledge and cognitive resources that operators need during the execution of tasks. The five sub-measure are related to the concept of first and second order entropy. The first, defined as chromatic information content, provides information about the regularity of a graph: nodes that have the same number of in-degree and out-degree arrows belong to the same class. The second explains the structural information content by defining the amount of information useful to understand the graph; nodes that have the same neighbors nodes belong to the same class. These five sub-measures, were found to be mutually dependent. For this reason, they have been reorganized in order to refer to independent factors [21]. The reorganization defines three new complexity dimensions needed to assess the task complexity model: Task scope (TS), Task Structurability (TR) and Task Uncertainty (TU). In particular. Task Scope (TS) summarizes the concepts expressed by SSC and SIC, Task Structurability (TR) is linked to AHC and SLC and Task Uncertainty (TU) depends on the decision-making process (EDC sub-measure). The three dimensions are shown below [22]: Task Scope (TS) = 0,716 SIC + 0,284 SSC
(1)
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Task Structure (TR) = 0,891 SLC + 0,109 AHC
(2)
Task Uncertainty (TU ) = EDC
(3)
The TACOM measure derives from information theory and can be applied to various contexts in which it is essential to examine the complexity of procedure-guided tasks [23, 24]. So, the methodological structure of TACOM is suitable to evaluate the complexity of tasks also in maintenance. The analysis of the study carried out highlights how the TACOM measure can be used in maintenance procedures to understand the level of complexity of maintenance operations.
3 TACOM for Maintenance Procedures: Numerical Examples The supervision of industrial processes and the processing of a complex set of data requires a certain level of cognitive workload from maintenance operators. Starting from data sheet and control panels, operators execute tasks and solve problems on the basis of maintenance procedures. Identifying the relationship between the cause of the failure and the effect, intended as corrective action to be implemented, is useful to support operators’ decisions in the execution of maintenance tasks. Procedures are the key element to assess the level of information and complexity of maintenance operations. This section examines the complexity of tasks in the application of guided procedures by applying the concepts of graph theory and TACOM to eight different maintenance procedures related to the automotive and mechanical production sector. Indeed, the process of troubleshooting a fault is classified as a highly cognitive process as it requires operators to have multidisciplinary skills, high training and a high capacity of analysis and action. The set of maintenance procedures are classified into short (5 min), medium (30 min) and long (60 and 120 min) according to the standard completion time required. Table 1 shows the number of nodes characterizing the graph structure, the values of SLC, SSC, the standard execution times in minutes and the calculated TACOM values of the set of eight maintenance procedures. In particular, SLC and SSC are based on the first and second order entropy concepts respectively [24]. As an example, the analytical expression of the SLC and SSC parameters for procedure 1 is reported in (4). 1 4 2 1 4 2 1 1 + log2 + log2 + log2 = 1.75 [bit] SLC = − log2 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 1 1 SSC = − 8 log2 = 3 [bit] (4) 8 8
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Table 1. Number of nodes, SLC, SSC, Execution Time, TACOM value of maintenance procedures Procedure
Nodes
SLC [bit]
SSC [bit]
Execution time [min.]
TACOM [bit]
1
8
1.75
3
5
3.433
2
10
1.57
3.32
5
3.696
3
11
1.86
3.46
5
3.856
4
19
1.70
4.13
30
4.428
5
28
1.78
4.42
30
4.687
6
24
1.72
4.59
60
4.835
7
39
2.17
4.77
60
5.041
8
25
1.81
4.64
120
4.889
The set of actions to be processed within the procedure can be schematized in a graph in which the value of the Step Logic Complexity (SLC) and Step Size Complexity (SSC) increases with the complexity of the task. A more complex procedure requires a greater effort of the maintenance operator for the correct execution of tasks in the decision-making process. Procedures with a higher number of nodes and decisionmaking alternatives are characterized by higher values of the SLC and SSC parameters. The variability depends on the number and quality of information provided to the operator through the description of the activities in the maintenance procedure. The number of instructions has a direct impact on the choices that operator makes in relation to the number of alternatives presented at each decision node. More the information provided, less the operator’s uncertainty in carrying out the task. The definition of the five sub-measures is necessary to establish the corresponding value of TACOM, which makes it possible to assess the complexity of tasks to be performed by maintenance operators in the application of the eight maintenance procedures. Applying relations (1), (2) and (3) to the procedure 1, the following values are obtained: Task Scope (TS) = 3.778 [bit]; Task Structure (TR) = 1.987 [bit]; Task Uncertainty (TU) = 3.76 [bit]. The TACOM measure for each task can be calculated as follow (5) [22]; the results are shown in Table 1: 2 (5) TACOM = 0.621 ∗ TS 2 + 0.239 ∗ TR2 + 0.14 ∗ TU 2 [bit] SLC and SSC are the reference values for the calculation of the parameters Step Information Complexity (SIC), Abstraction Hierarchy Complexity (AHC) and Engineering Decision Complexity (EDC). By a regression analysis based on data available in [6], these values are correlated to SSC sub-measure by the following expressions: Step Information Complexity (SIC) = 1.0249 SSC + 1.0111 [bit]
(6)
Abstraction Hierarchy Complexity (AHC) = 1.0921 SSC + 0.65 [bit]
(7)
Engineering Decision Complexity (EDC) = 1.0804 SSC + 0.5193 [bit]
(8)
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The results show that as the number of nodes increases, there is an increase in the value of TACOM and therefore in the complexity of the cognitive tasks, as shown in Fig. 1 where procedures are ordered according to the increasing Execution Time. In fact, in a cognitive task, as the number of actions to be performed (SSC) and the amount of information and data to be processed (SIC) increase, the operator’s knowledge domain (AHC) and the amount of cognitive resources required (EDC) increase in order to identify an appropriate choice criterion.
Fig. 1. Execution time, Number of nodes, and TACOM values of maintenance procedures
The number of nodes and links characterizing the graph structure provide indirectly information about the complexity of the tasks. As the number of actions and decisions that need to be made increases, the cognitive load of the operator increases. The number of alternatives to be analysed is therefore influenced by the amount of information and data provided to operators. By comparing procedures that require the same execution time, this growing trend can be seen. For example, procedure 6 and procedure 7 require an execution time of 60 min, but the cognitive effort required from the operator is different. In particular, procedure 6 describes a maintenance procedure for replacing a shaft motor while procedure 7 defines the instructions for replacing the reed valve. The number of nodes that composes the graph of the two procedures is respectively 24 and 39. The corresponding TACOM values are 4.835 and 5.041 [bit]. This difference in the TACOM value is due to the type of information provided in the two maintenance procedures and to the number of alternatives that the operator has to evaluate during the decision-making process. If procedures provide operators with exhaustive and detailed information, the decision-making process is well known and therefore a minor number of actions is required for the execution of the task. This situation corresponds to lower TACOM values. On the contrary, if the procedure provides less information, the operator has more problems in performing the activities and the TACOM value is higher. The absence of detailed information causes uncertainty for the operator in order to accomplish that task. This complexity is caused by the increasing number of scenarios that need to be evaluated for the correct execution of the task. In this context the graph structure is more asymmetric and composed by a larger number of nodes and connections. The greater the graph asymmetry is, the greater the number of classes to be considered in terms of second-order entropy [19], the greater is the cognitive effort required.
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4 Conclusions The role of the smart operator in the context of Industry 4.0 has evolved due to the increasing technological development. The correct execution of tasks is increasingly based on the ability of operators to analyse different scenarios through the analysis and processing of data provided by the system. Cognitive aspects are the new protagonists of the decision-making process that has a direct influence on the reliability of the industrial system and on the number of human errors. In order to assess the complexity of the decision-making process, attention has been paid to procedures which are the elements that provide maintenance operators with the necessary guidelines to carry out the various tasks (machine failures or anomalies). The present work quantified the complexity of tasks in the application of a set of maintenance procedures by using graph theory and the concept of entropy to quantify the task complexity with the TACOM measure. The results show that TACOM is an effective tool to evaluate the complexity of tasks in the maintenance field. The numerical examples highlight the variability of the complexity of tasks by comparing the TACOM values of maintenance procedures for automotive and mechanical production sector. In order to understand if human resources are correctly allocated in the system, it is necessary to estimate the level of complexity of tasks in the application of a procedure. The correct execution of a task in the decision-making process will depend on the cognitive capacity of human operator to process the information provided. Future research should focus in quantifying the cognitive resources of operators based on specific parameters such as age and experience. Acknowledgement. This research work is part of the activities carried out in the context of the SO4SIMS project (Smart Operators 4.0 based on Simulation for Industry and Manufacturing Systems) funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research MIUR (Project PRIN – 2017FW8BB4).
References 1. Ceruti, A., Marzocca, P., Liverani, A., Bil, C.: Maintenance in aeronautics in an Industry 4.0 context: the role of augmented reality and additive manufacturing. J. Comput. Des. Eng. 6(4), 516–526 (2019) 2. Bengtsson, M., Lundström, G.: On the importance of combining ‘the new’ with ‘the old’ one important prerequisite for maintenance in Industry 4.0. Procedia Manuf. 25, 118–125 (2018) 3. Fantini, P., Pinzone, M., Taisch, M.: Placing the operator at the centre of Industry 4.0 design: modelling and assessing human activities within cyber-physical systems. Comput. Ind. Eng. 139, 105058 (2020) 4. Gorecky, D., Schmitt, M., Loskyll, M., Zühlke, D.: Human-machine-interaction in the Industry 4.0 era. In: Proceedings - 2014 12th IEEE International Conference on Industrial Informatics, INDIN 2014 (2014) 5. Fiorentino, M., Uva, A.E., Gattullo, M., Debernardis, S., Monno, G.: Augmented reality on large screen for interactive maintenance instructions. Comput. Ind. 65(2), 270–278 (2014) 6. Park, J.: The Complexity of Proceduralized Tasks. Republic of Korea (2009) 7. Haslgrubler, M., Gollan, B., Ferscha, A.: A cognitive assistance framework for supporting human workers in industrial tasks. IT Prof. 20(5), 48–56 (2018)
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8. Toro, C., Barandiaran, I., Posada, J.: A perspective on knowledge based and intelligent systems implementation in industrie 4.0. Procedia Comput. Sci. 60, 362–370 (2015) 9. Xie, B., Salvendy, G.: Review and reappraisal of modelling and predicting mental workload in single- and multi-task environments. Work Stress 14(1), 74–99 (2000) 10. Noroozi, A., Khakzad, N., Khan, F., Mackinnon, S., Abbassi, R.: The role of human error in risk analysis: application to pre- and post-maintenance procedures of process facilities. Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf. 119, 251–258 (2013) 11. Su, K.W., Hwang, S.L., Liu, T.H.: Knowledge architecture and framework design for preventing human error in maintenance tasks. Expert Syst. Appl. 19(3), 219–228 (2000) 12. Dhanisetty, V.S.V., Verhagen, W.J.C., Curran, R.: Multi-criteria weighted decision making for operational maintenance processes. J. Air Transp. Manag. 68, 152–164 (2018) 13. Lampe, M., Strassner, M., Fleisch, E.: A ubiquitous computing environment for aircraft maintenance. In: Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Applied Computing, pp. 1586–1592 (2004) 14. Gattullo, M., Uva, A.E., Fiorentino, M., Scurati, G.W., Ferrise, F.: From paper manual to AR manual: do we still need text? Procedia Manuf. 11, 1303–1310 (2017) 15. Davis, J.S., Leblanc, R.J.: A study of the applicability of complexity measures. IEEE Trans. Softw. Eng. 14(9), 1366–1372 (1988) 16. Dehmer, M.: A novel method for measuring the structural information content of networks. Cybern. Syst. 39(8), 825–842 (2008) 17. Rashevsky, N.: Life, information theory, and topology. Bull. Math. Biophys. 17, 229–235 (1955) 18. Trucco, E.: A note on the information content of graphs. Bull. Math. Biophys. 18, 129–135 (1956) 19. Park, J., Jung, W., Ha, J.: Development of the step complexity measure for emergency operating procedures using entropy concepts. Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf. 71(2), 115–130 (2001) 20. Mowshowitz, A.: Entropy and the complexity of graphs: I. An index of the relative complexity of a graph. Bull. Math. Biophys. 30, 175–204 (1968) 21. Harvey, C.M., Koubek, R.J.: Cognitive, social, and environmental attributes of distributed engineering collaboration: a review and proposed model of collaboration. Hum. Factors Ergon. Manuf. 10(4), 369–393 (2000) 22. Jinkyun, P., Wondea, J.: A study on the revision of the TACOM measure. IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. 54(6), 2666–2676 (2007) 23. Park, J.: Investigating the TACOM measure as a general tool for quantifying the complexity of procedure guided tasks. Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf. 129, 66–75 (2014) 24. Park, J., Jung, W.: A study on the development of a task complexity measure for emergency operating procedures of nuclear power plants. Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf. 92(8), 1102–1116 (2007)
A Procedural Model for Utilizing Case-Based Reasoning in After-Sales Management Martin Riester1(B) , Fazel Ansari1,2 , Michael Foerster3 , and Kurt Matyas2 1 Fraunhofer Austria Research GmbH, Theresianumgasse 27, 1040 Vienna, Austria
[email protected] 2 TU Wien, Theresianumgasse 27, 1040 Vienna, Austria 3 INNIO Jenbacher GmbH & Co OG, Achenseestraße 1-3, 6200 Jenbach, Austria
Abstract. The identification of spare parts as an integral part of maintenance processes especially in mechanical and plant engineering requires expert knowledge. The main reason is an undeniable information gap in existing service documentations. Knowledge-based approaches may facilitate and ensure standardized management of service kits. This paper introduces an integrated procedural model deploying case-based reasoning (CBR) to document expert knowledge, and to automatize spare parts identification processes. The application of the procedural model is exemplified in an industrial use case, which deepens insights into the case derivation and solution generation steps using necessary similarity measures and related algorithms. Keywords: Case-based reasoning · Service kit · Maintenance · After-sales management · Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
1 Introduction The after-sales area of mechanical and plant engineering companies is a crucial part of their value chains [1]. The main reason for this is the much higher added value of an intangible service compared to that of a physical primary product [2, 3]. However, one of the main operational challenges in practice is the lack of insights into data derived from services and spare parts management [4]. The underlying reasons, inter alia, are i) the incomplete or missing service documentation with regard to maintenance activities carried out in the past and spare parts installed as well as ii) the lack of digital documentation of older systems such as former generations and editions [5, 6]. In addition, maintenance instructions are carried out generically for entire plant series, i.e. without specific reference to part numbers, in order to minimize the documentation efforts. The aforementioned causalities result in missing information, which should be handled by involving domain experts who provide corresponding experience and knowledge. Basically, spare parts experts create a “service kit” consisting of several spare parts for planned maintenance work from accessible information [5]. Service kits consist of up to several hundred parts, which complexifies manual configuration. Due to the dependency © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 294–301, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_39
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on specific employee knowledge, the content of resulting service kits may differ from expert to expert. This paper presents a knowledge-based procedural model incorporating case-based reasoning (CBR). The procedural model serves as a documentation engine for storing the expert knowledge linked to past cases, and thus establishes the basis for the configuration of future service kits, i.e. deriving solution from formerly validated solution. This approach reduces spare part identification times, relieves the experts and ensures consistent service kit contents. The proposed process model has been developed, based on a real use case at a gas engine manufacturer in Austria. It is worth noting that this paper is briefly discusses the core model and the procedural approach without diving into the underlying mathematical models. The rest of the paper is structured as follows. Following the introduction in Sect. 1, a brief overview of the state-of-the-art is presented in Sect. 2. In Sect. 3, the procedural model is introduced, and an exemplified use case is discussed. Finally, Sect. 4 concludes the discussion and identifies further research pathways.
2 Literature Review There are several approaches in the body of literature in maintenance and service management that are dedicated to the “repair kit problem” (RKP). The term “repair kit” is used by the investigated approaches to describe the stock of spare parts in a technician’s service vehicle for the repair of small electrical appliances. The availability of a repair kit leads to a trade-off between “holding costs” and “return-to-fit costs”, which arise when spare parts are missing. The cost optimization methods of the RKP-approaches are mainly based on heuristics as illustrated in the reviewed literature, cf. [7–17]. The approach presented in [18] considers a “service kit” as a predefined collection of parts and tools for a medical intervention, which is kept in a central storage area in a “transaction-orientated” manner, i.e. oriented towards a specific type of surgery. This approach focuses exclusively on the optimization of warehousing costs, and thus does not include a definition or identification of the correct components of the service kit. The kitting approach according to [19] examines the service kit generation from a customer perspective in the field of mechanical and plant engineering. In this approach, the term “service kit” describes the spare parts stock on the customer side for different plants. Notably, this approach integrates a manual test step by a spare parts expert. According to the literature CBR is an approach to utilize the specific knowledge of previously experienced, concrete problem situations (cases) [27]. The successful application of CBR in the context of maintenance is evidenced by several approaches. Notable examples are i) optimizing the service and repair of motor vehicles [20], ii) the diagnosis of vehicle engine faults [21], iii) knowledge management of plant drive units by means of graph-based reasoning [22], iv) maintenance optimization of machine tools and overhead cranes [23, 24], and v) determining the expected maintenance time [25]. These approaches are partly based in the field of mechanical and plant engineering and mainly focus on the maintenance measure “Overhaul” (cf. DIN 31051 [26]) rather than creation of service kits. The abovementioned approaches are analyzed based on the requirements for designing a procedural model gaining benefits from CBR, as depicted in Table 1.
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Evidently, the analysis reveals the existing gap and the demand to further explore using CBR approaches in after-sales management.
Approach focuses on maintenance work or overhaul
Approach focuses on spare parts identification process
Approach is using casebased Reasoning
Year
Approach delivers machinery specific service kits
Literature
z z z z z z z z z z z
{ { { { { { { { { { {
z z z z z z z z z z z
{ { { { { { { { { { {
{ { { { { { { { { { {
{ {
z
z
{
{ {
z z z z z z
{ { { { { {
z z z z z z
{ { { { { {
z z z z z z
z
z
z
z
z
Approach is designed from a manufacturers perspective
Requirements of procedural model
Approach is designed for mechanical- and plant engineering
Table 1. Literature analysis for using in CBR in after-sales management
Author
Repair kit problem approaches { 1980 Smith et al. { 1982 Graves et al. { 1982 Hausman { 1982 Mamer and Smith { 1984 March and Scudder { 1993 Brunelle and Granot { 1994 Heeremans and Gelders { 2006 Teunter { 2010 Bijvank et al. { 2017 Saccani et al. { 2017 Prak et al. Other kitting approaches { 2013 Güllü and Köksalan z 2015 Moharana and Sarmah CBR approaches { 2011 Chougule et al. { 2011 Vong et al. z 2013 Kamsu-Foguem and Noyes z 2013 Potes Ruiz et al. z 2014 Potes Ruiz et al. z 2017 Mourtzis et al. Presented procedural model z Degree of fulfillment: z = entirely = partly { = not
3 Procedural Model for Knowledge-Based Service-Kit Generation 3.1 Spare Parts Identification Process The identification of spare parts takes place in three phases. In phase 1 (P1), the maintenance instruction IDs (MN IDs) to be carried out are defined, based on a customer request. In phase 2 (P2), a spare part expert identifies the required spare parts by means of the identified MN IDs and the service bill of materials (SBOM). In phase 3 (P3),
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the identified spare parts are checked for new available item versions (so called supersessions). P1 and P3 are carried out by rule-based methods. P2 is knowledge-based, i.e. the expert carries out three reasoning processes. In reasoning process 1 (I1), the required item descriptions (IDP) are identified by reading the maintenance instruction. In reasoning process 2 (I2), the expert searches for the IDP in the SBOM and notes the item number and item quantity noted there. To do this, the expert implicitly uses the tree structure of the multilevel SBOM. The expert knows in which assembly the IDP that he/she is looking for is located. During this process, the expert implicitly identifies the correct position of an item in the multilevel SBOM. The identification of the correct items is additionally ensured by comparing the IDP of the MN ID with the IDP of the SBOM. In reasoning process 3 (I3), the expert adds further IDPs, item numbers (ITN) and quantities (QTY), based on his/her personal experience and knowledge. These parts are required for the implementation but are not noted in the MN IDs, due to existing information gaps. The expert, therefore, formally answers the following questions: (a) Which ITN of which position numbers (PON) of the SBOM are required for the execution of the required MN ID and in which QTY? (b) Which supersession item numbers of which PON of the SBOM and in what QTY are required in addition to the specifications of each MN ID? (c) Do the IDPs listed on the identified PONs of the SBOM correspond to the required IDPs from the existing MN IDs? 3.2 Integration of CBR in the Procedural Model The CBR cycle represents a generally valid process model which consists of the for main steps i) retrieve, ii) reuse, iii) revise and iv) retain a case from/to the case base [27]. The developed process model, as illustrated in Fig. 1, integrates P1-P3 into an overall system and contains a formal description of the individual steps for their automated execution. The execution of P2 is based on the CBR cycle, which formally describes and stores the described expert knowledge in cases and ensures their reusability. In particular, P1 contains the preprocessing steps for the formulation of the CBR problem in step 5. In step 1, the relevant attributes of the received service request are extracted. These include (a1) unit ID, (a2) unit type ID and (a3) actual operating hours. These attributes are used to identify the valid maintenance schedule (MS) in step 2, the relevant maintenance interval (MI) in step 3 and the MN IDs to be performed in step 4. In P2, step 5 generates the query problem for the CBR mechanism. This consists of the attributes (a2) unit type ID, (a4) MN ID, (a5) ITN of the SBOM and (a6) IDP of the SBOM. The cases stored in the case base are structured in sub-case bases for each MN ID. If several MN IDs are required to perform an MI, the respective query problem is assigned to a sub-case base in step 6. In step 7, the attribute a2 of the query problem is compared with the stored cases to determine their suitability in principle. Step 8 checks whether the PON stored in a case exists in the present SBOM. If they are present, step 9 checks the similarity between the IDP of the present problem and the stored case. Step 10 calculates the overall similarity based on the similarities from steps 7–9. Steps 5–10 are repetitive for each MN ID. In step 11 the total similarities of step 10 are integrated to a global similarity. Steps 5–11 are assigned to the main process “retrieve” of the general CBR mechanism. The solution of the best fitting case per MN ID is carried out in step 12, where the ITNs and QTYs on the individual PON are selected. A manual check of the results and, if necessary, a
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Fig. 1. Linkage of procedural model and spare parts identification process
correction by the spare parts expert is carried out in step 13. If corrections were made to individual PONs for a MN ID, they are stored in the case base in step 14 as a new case. Step 14 marks the last step of the CBR cycle. In P3, the identified ITNs are checked for possible supersession item numbers in step 15. Old ITNs may be listed in the SBOM but may be obsolete due to new engineering developments. Analogous to the steps of phase 1, this step is rule-based. The result of the steps 1–15 is a list of ITNs, IDPs and QTYs which are required for the execution of the MI identified in step 3. This list is called “service kit”. 3.3 Instantiation of the Procedural Model in the Gas Engine Manufacturing The following use case, taken from the study conducted in the context of gas engine manufacturing, describes the core steps 5–10 of the presented procedural model in Fig. 1. Figure 2 exemplifies i) creation of a new case (Example 1), and ii) application of a case from the case base (Example 2). In example 1, steps 1–4 of the procedural model are
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performed for the incoming service order. This results in the MN ID = W2711 to be performed for the exchange of elastomer parts. The spare parts expert extracts the IDPs of the relevant items from the texts and contents of the MN ID. Since the MN ID is valid for an entire series with several variants, no specific ITN can be taken from the document. In the next step, the spare parts expert uses his/her experience to identify the PON on which the required IDPs are located. In the example, the IDP = O-ring on PON = 10-10-30 is identified with the ITN = 1990 and the QTY = 8 for the Unit ID = A1946, and the IDP = Gasket on PON = 10-10-40 with ITN = 1953 and the QTY = 2.
Fig. 2. Example for case derivation and solution generation
In the following, the applied expert knowledge can be described neutrally as a case. In a comparable system with a similar configuration, the parts with the IDP = O-ring and IDP = Gasket should also be located on the PON = 10-10-30 and PON = 10-10-40. The derived case is, therefore, described with the attributes unit type ID, PON and IDP. The attribute unit type ID can only occur once in each case. The number of other attributes is variable depending on the number of parts required. Similar to example 1, the steps 1–4
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in example 2 with the unit ID = A2020 also result in the MN ID = W2711 to be carried out. To reduce the search effort in the SBOM, appropriate solutions stored in the case base can be used. Using the similarity measure sim unit type ID, all cases with a match of the attribute unit type ID are identified. With the similarity measure sim PON the SBOM and the stored case are analyzed for identical PONs. With the similarity measure sim IDP, the expected IDP of the stored case is compared with the IDP of the SBOM. If there are appropriate matchings the ITN and QTY will be taken from the positively evaluated PONs. In example 2, the service kit results from the parts with IDP = O-ring from PON = 10–10-30 with ITN = 2011 and QTY = 4, and IDP = Gasket from. PON = 10–10-40 with ITN = 2013 and QTY = 1.
4 Conclusion and Outlook This present approach examine how expert knowledge in the context of spare parts identification in mechanical and plant engineering can be described in a formalized way. Gaining advantage of CBR, expert knowledge can be stored and reused sustainably in future identification processes. Thus, cycle times and experts’ workload can be reduced. Beside further evaluation of the proposed approach in various industrial use-cases, future research work will focus on elaborating the retrieve mechanism in course of the CBR cycle as well as on developing and structuring the case base in industrial context.
References 1. Hans-Böckler-Stiftung - Entwicklungstrends im Werkzeugmaschinenbau: Kurzstudie zu Branchentrends auf Basis einer Literaturrecherche (2017). https://www.boeckler.de/pdf/p_f ofoe_WP_029_2017.pdf. Accessed 20 Mar 2020 2. Vogel Communications Group - Wachstumsmotor Service - Bain & Company. https://files. vogel.de/vogelonline/vogelonline/files/2925.pdf. Accessed 20 Aug 2020 3. Staufen AG - Lean Service im Maschinen- und Anlagenbau: LEAN SERVICE 2016 Herausforderungen und Handlungsbedarfe - Eine Studie der Staufen AG. https://www.sta ufen.ag/fileadmin/HQ/02-Company/05-Media/2-Studies/STAUFEN.-studie-lean-serviceim-maschinen-und-anlagenbau-2016-de_DE.pdf. Accessed 20 Aug 2020 4. Schenk, M.: Instandhaltung technischer Systeme: Methoden und Werkzeuge zur Gewährleistung eines sicheren und wirtschaftlichen Anlagenbetriebs. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg (2010) 5. Mahnel, M., Seebauer, P.: Global Spare Parts Management 2010: Bringen Sie Ihre Ersatzteilversorgung weltweit auf Erfolgskurs. IMPULS Management Consulting, München (2008) 6. Deloitte Consulting GmbH - Monitor Deloitte - Der zweite Frühling für den Maschinenbau: Servicedigitalisierung als Wachstumstreiber. https://www2.deloitte.com/de/de/pages/energyand-resources/articles/digitale-services-maschinenbau.html. Accessed 20 Aug 2020 7. Smith, S.A., Chambers, J.C., Shlifer, E.: Optimal inventories based on job completion rate for repairs requiring multiple items. Manage. Sci. 26(8), 849–852 (1980) 8. Graves, S.C.: A multiple item inventory model with a job completion criterion. Manage. Sci. 28(11), 1334–1337 (1982) 9. Hausman, W.: On optimal repair kits under a job completion criterion. Manage. Sci. 28(11), 1350–1351 (1982)
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10. Mamer, J.W., Smith, S.A.: Optimizing field repair kits based on job completion rate. Manage. Sci. 28(11), 1328–1333 (1982) 11. March, S.T., Scudder, G.D.: On optimizing field repair kits based on job completion rate. Manage. Sci. 30(8), 1025–1028 (1984) 12. Brunelle, S., Granot, D.: The repair kit problem revisited. Oper. Res. 41(5), 994–1006 (1993) 13. Heeremans, D., Gelders, L.F.: Multiple period repair kit problem with a job completion criterion: a case study. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 81(2), 239–248 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1016/ 0377-2217(94)00177-E 14. Teunter, R.H.: The multiple-job repair kit problem. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 175(2), 1103–1116 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2005.05.023 15. Bijvank, M., Koole, G., Vis, I.F.A.: Optimising a general repair kit problem with a service constraint. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 204(1), 76–85 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2009.10.004 16. Saccani, N., Visintin, F., Mansini, R., Colombi, M.: Improving spare parts management for field services: a model and a case study for the repair kit problem. IMA J. Manag. Math. 28, 185–204 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1093/imaman/dpw023 17. Prak, D., Saccani, N., Syntetos, A., Teunter, R., Visintin, F.: The repair kit problem with positive replenishment lead times and fixed ordering costs. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 261(3), 893–902 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2017.02.019 18. Güllü, R., Köksalan, M.: A model for performance evaluation and stock optimization in a kit management problem. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 143(2), 527–535 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ijpe.2012.01.028 19. Moharana, U.C., Sarmah, S.P.: Determination of optimal kit for spare parts using association rule mining. Int. J. Syst. Assur. Eng. Manag. 6(3), 238–247 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/ s13198-014-0273-y 20. Chougule, R., Rajpathak, D., Bandyopadhyay, P.: An integrated framework for effective service and repair in the automotive domain: an application of association mining and casebased-reasoning. Comput. Ind. 62(7), 742–754 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compind. 2011.05.007 21. Vong, C., Wong, P., Ip, W.: Case-based expert system using wavelet packet transform and kernel-based feature manipulation for engine ignition system diagnosis. Eng. Appl. Artif. Intell. 24(7), 1281–1294 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engappai.2011.07.002 22. Kamsu-Foguem, B., Noyes, D.: Graph-based reasoning in collaborative knowledge management for industrial maintenance. Comput. Ind. 64(8), 998–1013 (2013). https://doi.org/10. 1016/j.compind.2013.06.013 23. Ruiz, P.P., Foguem, B.K., Grabot, B.: Generating knowledge in maintenance from experience feedback. Knowl.-Based Syst. 68, 4–20 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.knosys.2014.02.002 24. Ruiz, P.P., Kamsu-Foguem, B., Noyes, D.: Knowledge reuse integrating the collaboration from experts in industrial maintenance management. Knowl.-Based Syst. 50, 171–186 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.knosys.2013.06.005 25. Mourtzis, D., Boli, N., Fotia, S.: Knowledge-based estimation of maintenance time for complex engineered-to-order products based on kpis monitoring: a pss approach. Procedia CIRP 63, 236–241 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2017.03.317 26. DIN 31051:2012–09 (2012): Fundamentals of maintenance. Version: 2016–11. Beuth Verlag GmbH, Berlin. Accessed 20 Aug 2020 27. Aamodt, A., Plaza, E.: Case-based reasoning: foundational issues, methodological variations, and system approaches. AI Commun. 7(1), 39–59 (1994)
On the Technical Debt Prioritization and Cost Estimation with SonarQube Tool Andrej Katin1(B) , Valentina Lenarduzzi2 , Davide Taibi3 , and Vladimir Mandi´c1 1 University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
[email protected] 2 LUT University, Lahti, Finland 3 Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
Abstract. Commonly, software developers are faced with situations to compromise internal quality to achieve short term goals, e.g. time-to-market. In software engineering, such compromises are described with Technical Debt (TD) concept. TD implies cost of additional rework—usually expressed as effort—and when the code is compromised, it is called code debt. One of the most popular tools for identifying TD items and estimating effort for solving them is SonarQube. However, there is still a need for empirical validations of remediation times that SonarQube estimates. The objective of this research is to validate the usefulness of the tool for novice developers in terms of understanding SonarQube’s categorization of criticality levels of TD issues and accuracy of estimated remediation times. We designed and conducted an empirical study with 185 students in a context of university software engineering courses in Finland and Serbia. The estimates provided by SonarQube are more pessimistic, i.e. only in 3% of cases the actual fixing time was higher that the estimated one. Our results also indicate that participants’ perception of the criticality levels of the TD items is misaligned with SonarQube’s classification and prioritization. Keywords: Technical debt · Empirical study · Technical debt management · SonarQube
1 Introduction Commonly, software developers are faced with situations to compromise internal quality to achieve short term goals, e.g. time-to-market. In software engineering, such compromises are described with Technical Debt (TD) concept [1]. TD implies cost of additional rework—usually expressed as effort—and when the code is compromised, it is called code debt [14]. The first mention of the concept TD is related to late 90’s by Cunningham, who defined TD as a metaphor that will help to make some aspects of internal software quality visible [10, 13]. TD contextualizes the problem of outstanding work in software development tasks (e.g. pending refactoring) as a debt that provides short-term benefits in software development that will be paid much harder in the later stages of development © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 302–309, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_40
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[1, 14]. The debt metaphor reminds developers about the choices that can be made with design flaws [3]. The concept of TD can be particularly useful when used by junior developers, who nowadays represent the large majority of developers. However, some empirical investigations indicate that junior developers are less familiar with the concept of TD than their more experienced colleagues [11, 20]. Different Automated Static Analysis Tools (ASAT) can be used to identify TD [2]. SonarQube (SQ)1 was one of the first ASAT tools that provides estimates of the accumulated TD in source code. It is done by applying different code metrics and meeting a large number of coding rules that are defined for different programming languages [8]. In this research, we aim to determine how accurate SQ’s time estimates are when used by junior developers, as well as whether their perception of TD issues criticality matches SQ’s categorization. For this purpose, we designed and conducted an empirical study with 185 junior developers in academic setting. Results of this study can be of interest to industry practitioners who are planning to adopt the SQ on their software projects to better interpret estimated remediation times, especially when remediation tasks are assigned to junior developers. This paper is structured as follows. Section 2 presents a literature review on this topic. Section 3 describes the empirical design of the research. Section 4 presents the results obtained by the research. Section 5 identifies the threats to the validity of this paper and Sect. 6 defines the conclusion and future work.
2 Related Work In this section we introduce all relevant aspects of the SonarQube for this study, alongside with an overview of the literature regarding empirical investigations of TD estimations with SQ. There are not many contributions on the topic of the use of different ASAT tools for improving the quality of developers work. 2.1 SonarQube SQ identifies three basic types of TD issues. (1) Code smells are points in the code that can be difficult to maintain. Also, issues can be classified as security (2) Vulnerabilities or (3) Bugs that will cause the breaking of code. After identifying an issue, SQ estimates remediation effort or the time needed to remove that issue [9]. SQ provides users with categorization of identified issues according to the level of critically at five categories [15]. Blocker represents most critical level of SQ issue for bugs with a high probability to affect program misbehavior. Critical are issues that represents bugs with low probability to impact the program or a major security flow. Majorare problems that can significantly affect the productivity of developers. Minorare issues that have minimal impact on productivity [15]. Info is issue that provides information to developers [15].
1 https://www.sonarqube.org/.
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2.2 Empirical Investigations of TD Estimates The first empirical papers on the topic of TD identification using the SQ tool were written in the mid 2010s when SQ began to be used [4, 10]. The papers mainly focused on improving the metrics and rules used by SQ. Characteristically, research has been done on open-source projects. [4, 18, 19]. Researches in 2019 and 2020 is aimed at improving the list of SQ rules [5, 8, 9, 12]. During these years, the papers have been extended to academic purposes, which includes students as the main respondents [9, 12]. Machine Learning is introduced as one of the solutions to emerge improving performance (e.g. use of SZZ algorithm) [8]. Some papers are also focused on estimating the time to solve the identified SQ issues. The researches have come to the conclusion that SQ gives overestimated remediation times and that the percentage of accurate estimates is even less than 20 percent. That can easily affect inexperienced developers productivity [5, 6, 16]. This research is focused on the time estimate provided by SQ and prioritization of SQ issues which is very interesting topic that no specific research has yet been done as far as we know.
3 Study Design In this section, we present the research question that are the main focus of this paper, protocol for data collecting, and execution of the study. 3.1 Research Questions RQ1. How Accurate are SQ’s Remediation Times in the Case of Junior Developers? Answering this question should inform us what to expect when remediation tasks are assigned to junior developers with respect to the estimated effort, i.e. cost. RQ2. How do Junior Developers Categorize Criticality of TD Issues Identified by SQ? This RQ investigates whether the perceived criticality of identified TD issues by junior developers alignes with SQ’s criticality levels.
3.2 Data Collection In this Section, we give an overview of the case study protocol, the selection of the participants, and the follow-up survey. Case Study Protocol. The research was conducted in a context of university courses. As a part of the student assignments, i.e. projects, SQ was used as a tool for static code analysis. Students had to correct all generated issues and record the actual time required to resolve them. Upon the completion of assignments, a follow-up survey was conducted.
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Subjects. We selected participants for the two replications from two University in the context of a software engineering courses. Students are divided into teams of six to eight people. Teams were formed in the following way. The first members of the teams were picked by instructors, afterward each picked member was instructed to pick one next member from remaining students until the groups are formed. Follow-up Survey. The follow-up survey was in English and it contained a list of up to ten the most frequent TD issues that students had to evaluate the criticality for each issue in the survey. A four-point ordinal scale from Not concerned at all to Very concerned was offered for the answer to each question and each team was given a list of approximately ten issues that were most common in their project.
3.3 Execution of the Study Authors from Finland conducted the research as a part of a course at Tampere University, while authors from Serbia conducted the research at the University of Novi Sad. The Case Finland implied that each team of students participating in the research must select one Java open-source project. Further work is focused on the analysis performed by SQ and the correction of identified errors (e.g. refactoring). Students were instructed to use SQ (community Version 7.4 (build 18908)). The Case Serbia meant that students divided into teams start the development of the project from scratch. The project assignments included a highlevel specification of an e-commerce system and instructions for the development process. The projects were done in C# programming language. Students were instructed to use the same version of SQ as in Finland. 3.4 Analysis and Interpretation Analysis and Interpretation for RQ1. We collected actual remediation times from participants and calculated the following quantitative indicators to better describe differences between SQ’s estimates and actual times. The usage of different indicators allows us to obtain a more complete picture of the estimation accuracy. Mean(RE) is the mean of Relative Errors (REs), Mean(RE) = 1n ni=1 REi , where n represents the number of SQ’s estimations, while RE i is the RE of the i-th estimation. Relative error is defined as REi = actual−estimate for each i-th estimation [2]. This metric is actual useful to provide insight weather estimated values are on average larger than actual times, i.e. overestimated, and in that case the sgn(MeanRE) = −1; while for underestimated valuessgn (MeanRE) = +1. In order to better analyse the magnitude of the differences between actual times and estimated values by SQ we calculated the mean magnitude of RE (MMRE) and the median magnitude of RE (MdMRE). MMRE is calculates as MMRE = 1n ni=1 MREi , where n represents the number of SQ’s estimations, while MRE i is the MRE of the i-th estimation. Magnitude of relative for each i-th estimation [2]. If the value of error is defined as MREi = |actual−estimate| |actual| MMRE is small, then we can say that SQ should give us on average good estimations.
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MdMRE. The given n SQ’s estimations, MdMREis computed as the median of the MREs of estimations [7]. The lower the MdMREvalue is, the better SQ’s estimations are. Analysis and Interpretation for RQ2. In order to assess the perceived criticality of TD issues by junior and novice developers we used the results of the follow-up survey. The criticality assessment of a TD issue was performed based on the response frequencies given by the students where all team members rated an identical group of TD issues. Each TD issue that SQ identifies has a certain level of criticality, we used the following mapping between the responses from the survey and criticality levels. TD issues marked by Sonar as Info are considered as an issue that participants were Not concerned at all, Minor coincides with the answer from the survey Not very concerned, Major is equivalent to the answer Concerned, while Blocker and Critical correspond to Very concerned.
4 Results In Case Finland, the study involved 133 students who were divided into teams of 4 to 6 members. We collected data from 26 different open-source projects which only 11 projects provided valid data. It Case Serbia, there were a total of 52 students divided into 6 teams and all of 6 projects provided valid data. 4.1 RQ1. How Accurate are SQ’s Remediation Times in the Case of Junior Developers? Table 1 shows the summary of the data analysis. The actual remediation times for the majority of TD items were significantly smaller than SQ estimates (the sign − 1 indicates overestimated values). Interestingly, overestimated values doesnot depend on the type of the issue nor on the criticality level. Only in the case of two blocker issues (Case Serbia), SQ estimates were smaller than actual. Regarding the magnitude of the difference in the estimated and actual values, in Case Finland, the difference is significantly larger compared to Serbian data. A plausible reason for this is that in Serbia the projects were done from the scratch by students, while in Finland the students had the task to choose an open-source project whose scope is significantly larger.
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Table 1. Relative error indicators for TD issue remediation times grouped by Type and Severity for Finland and Serbia Cases. TD items
Finland N
Type
Bug
Serbia
SGN(·) MmRE MdMRE N
SGN(·) MmRE MdMRE
122 –
525%
495%
10 –
78%
78%
Code smell 3703 –
456%
435%
475 –
70%
69%
1256 –
629%
650%
3 –
80%
80%
Severity Minor
Vuln
1557 –
378%
339%
153 –
76%
75%
Major
1945 –
581%
584%
312 –
63%
63%
Critical
465 –
472%
452%
21 –
69%
68%
Blocker
58 –
436%
445%
2 +
70%
70%
4.2 RQ2. How do Junior Developers Categorize Criticality of TD Issues Identified by SQ? Figure 1 depicts the results of the follow-up survey. Due to space limitation, here we present results for the top ten of the most frequent TD issues that occured.
Fig. 1. Percived TD issue criticality level vs. SQ’s categorization for the top-10 TD issues. Redbox indicate SQ’s categorization for the given TD issue.
The red rectangle indicates the percentage of students whose perception of criticality coincides with SQ’s assessment. The Fig. 1 shows that only in the case of 5 issues from both Cases around 40% of students rate the criticality level identical to SQ.
5 Threats to Validity The empirical research presented in this paper is prone to validity issues that we tried to address. Construct Validity: The main factor is socio-behavioral phenomena [17], which was reduced in the research by the fact that students did not even know that they were participating in the research, but performed all tasks within the project. As part of the follow-up survey, only the students were introduced to the goal of the research.
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Conclusion Validity: The activity that could have undermined the success of the research was the erroneous entry of time by the students because they entered the time independently. However, each student received a large number of issues and the probability of disrupting the research is minimal. Internal Validity: Instrumentation and maturation are two threats to internal validity [17]. Instrumentation, in our case the questionnaire is comprised of direct questions only, resulting with as minimal as possible interpretations. While maturation indicates that participants might act differently as time passes, which can happen if a questionnaire is too long [17]. External Validity: Threats to external validity limit the generalizability of the findings [17]. The focus of the research is on junior developers but we have achieved diversity in different project contexts and by having two comparative Cases.
6 Conclusion and Future Work In this paper we presented results of an empirical study conducted in a context of two university courses in Finland and in Serbia. The results indicated that SQ’s remediation times to address TD issues are mostly greater than actual times reported by junior developers, i.e. SQ’s cost estimates are higher. Such finding is unexpected because the focus group was junior developers who had minimal programming experience. Also, we found that SQ’s categorization of the criticality levels is misaligned with participant’s perception of the criticality levels. Future work on this topic should be aimed at increasing the number of respondents so that the result can be generalized.
References 1. Avgeriou, P., Kruchten, P., Ozkaya, I., Seaman, C.: managing technical debt in software engineering (Dagstuhl Seminar 16162). Dagstuhl Rep. 6(4), 110–138 (2016). https://doi.org/ 10.4230/DagRep.6.4.110, http://drops.dagstuhl.de/opus/volltexte/2016/6693 2. Conte, S.D., Dunsmore, H.E., Shen, V.Y.: Software effort estimation and productivity. In: Advances in Computers, vol. 24, pp. 1–60. Elsevier (1985) 3. Fowler, M.: Technical debt quadrant (2009). http://martinfowler.com/bliki/TechnicalDebtQu adrant. html 4. García-Munoz, J., García-Valls, M., Escribano-Barreno, J.: Improved metrics handling in sonarqube for software quality monitoring. In: Omatu, S., et al. (eds.) Distributed Computing and Artificial Intelligence, 13th International Conference, pp. 463–470. Springer, Cham (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40162-1_50 5. Guaman, D., Sarmiento, P., Barba-Guamán, L., Cabrera, P., Enciso, L.: Sonarqube as a tool to identify software metrics and technical debt in the source code through static analysis. In: 7th International Workshop on Computer Science and Engineering, WCSE, pp. 171–175 (2017) 6. Gustafsson, T.: Machine learning and sonarqubekpis to predict increasing bugresolution times (2019)
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7. Jorgensen, M.: Experience with the accuracy of software maintenance task effort prediction models. IEEE Trans. Softw. Eng. 21(8), 674–681 (1995) 8. Lenarduzzi, V., Saarimäki, N., Taibi, D.: The technical debt dataset. In: Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Conference on Predictive Models and Data Analytics in Software Engineering, PROMISE 2019, p. 2–11. Association for Computing Machinery, New York (2019). https://doi.org/10.1145/3345629.3345630 9. Lenarduzzi, V., Saarimäki, N., Taibi, D.: Some sonarqube issues have a significant but small effect on faults and changes: a large-scale empirical study. J. Syst. Softw. 170, 11075 (2019) 10. Letouzey, J., Ilkiewicz, M.: Managing technical debt with the sqale method. IEEE Softw. 29(6), 44–51 (2012) 11. Mandic, V., Taušan, N., Ramac, R.: The prevalence of the technical debt concept inserbianit industry: results of a national-wide survey. In: International Conference on Technical Debt (TechDebt 2020), Seoul, Republic of Korea, p. 10. ACM (2020). https://doi.org/10.1145/338 7906.3388622 12. Marcilio, D., Bonifácio, R., Monteiro, E., Canedo, E., Luz, W., Pinto, G.: Arestatic analysis violations really fixed? a closer look at realistic usage of sonarqube. In: 2019 IEEE/ACM 27th International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC), pp. 209–219 (2019) 13. Nugroho, A., Visser, J., Kuipers, T.: An empirical model of technical debt and interest. In: Proceedings of the 2nd Workshop on Managing Technical Debt, MTD 2011, pp. 1–8. Association for Computing Machinery, New York (2011). https://doi.org/10.1145/1985362.198 5364 14. Rios, N., de Mendonça Neto, M.G., Spínola, R.O.: A tertiary study on technicaldebt: types, management strategies, research trends, and base information for practitioners. Inf. Softw. Technol. 102, 117–145 (2018) 15. SA, S.: https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/. Technical report, SonarSource S.A, Switzerland (2020) 16. Saarimaki, N., Baldassarre, M.T., Lenarduzzi, V., Romano, S.: On the accuracy ofsonarqube technical debt remediation time. In: 2019 45th Euromicro Conference on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications (SEAA), pp. 317–324 (2019) 17. Wohlin, C., Runeson, P., Höst, M., Ohlsson, M., Regnell, B., Wesslén, A.: Experimentation in software engineering. Springer, Heidelberg (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-290 44-2 18. Zazworka, N., et al.: Comparing four approaches for technical debt identification. Softw. Qual. J. 22(3), 403–426 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11219-013-9200-8 19. Zazworka, N., Spínola, R.O., Vetro’, A., Shull, F., Seaman, C.: A casestudy on effectively identifying technical debt. In: Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering, EASE 2013, p. 42–47. Association for Computing Machinery, New York (2013) 20. Lenarduzzi, V., Mandíc, V., Katin, A., Taibi, D.: How long do junior developers take to remove technical debt items? In: 14th International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement. ACM/IEEE (2020)
Fundamentals of Integrated Risk Management Model in Business Processes Tamara Bojani´c(B) , Branislav Nerandži´c, Branislav Stevanov, and Danijela Graˇcanin Faculty of Technical Sciences, Dositeja Obradovi´ca 6, Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. Methodologies for identifying and measuring inherent and residual risk already exist for business risk management and business process management. Existing methodologies are in most cases descriptive, and the descriptions are based on subjective knowledge of business processes and internal control systems. If the focus of managers and internal auditors, in creating and controlling business processes, thanks to risk management, is shifted from the past and present, the integrated model values the impact of inherent risks and measures the impact of internal control systems on its reduction is projected into a realistic future. Although it requires additional engagement in the analysis and forecasting of the financial and yield position, as well as the implemented system of internal controls in the business processes of the entities. The integrated business risk management model is simple and economical in its application. The aim of this paper is to show that the application of this Model, among other things, achieves a strategic approach to business risk management in accordance with the adopted strategic plan of the entity, primarily through the analysis of management processes. The result of the work is the development of a model that could be applied in any company, regardless of the activity and ownership structure. Keywords: Business process · Risk management · Model · Internal control
1 Introduction Risk management is a very complex process which additionally requires a set of tools to be used within the model in order to manage business risks adequately. Risks are very often approached accidentally in the daily business routine, which leads to unnecessary and unplanned costs, which in turn reduces the organization’s overall value. Failures caused by poor risk management damage the reputation of the organization, and the consequences can be more serious than the initial failure (loss of profit, loss of reputation, loss of market, etc.). Risk is an inevitable part of any organization’s business and is therefore an integral part of the quality management system (ISO 9001) [1]. Risk mitigation is a substantial challenge for the organization. When risks are identified in the right way, it is possible to take mitigation actions if a potential risk arises and ISO standards have great benefits for the organizations that introduced them. ISO 31000 helps organizations to develop a © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 310–317, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_41
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risk management strategy, which can help them to effectively identify and reduce risk and achieve the set goals [2]. Risk management creates value for the organization not only by helping to identify potential threats to the business, but also by enabling the identification of potential opportunities. The ISO 31000 standard is intended for organizations of all types and sizes that face internal and external factors, as well as influences that bring them uncertainty regarding the achievement of set goals. However, these standards have certain shortcomings; they cannot express metrics, value impact on business, materiality that arises from inadequate risk assessment.
2 Integrated Business Risk Management Model Risk management of an entity should be seen as a tool that allows the entity to seize opportunities to increase value. This paper focuses on strategic risk management, which implies applying the concept of integrated management of all business risks to which an entity is exposed with the goal to increase the owner´s wealth and market value of the company. The basic goals of any business can be achieved by effective and proactive risk management, by taking into account through the pros and cons of risk, i.e. anticipating risks as a threat to business goals, but also opportunity that needs to be seized. The ISO 31000 risk management model is presented in three parts: principles, frameworks and processes [2]. In addition to these three parts, the model presented in the paper also has a part that includes materiality projected into the future. Namely, in addition to risk assessment, it also includes the amount of material loss, expressed in monetary units, which the company would suffer in case of risk occurrence. There is a special tool within the Model that measures the influence of the existing internal control system in terms of reducing inherent risk. Among the other things, the Model enables achieving a strategic approach to business risk management in accordance with the adopted strategic plan of the entity, primarily through the analysis of management processes. Although it requires additional engagement in terms of analyzing and forecasting the financial and return items, as well as the implemented system of internal controls in the organization’s business processes, the Integrated Business Risk Management Model is simple and economical in its application. According to the COSO ERM framework, integrated risk management of an entity is implemented by the executive board, management and all employees, it is implemented throughout the whole entity in accordance with the strategy, designed to identify potential events that may affect the entity, all these with the goal to achieve objectives [3]. According to the COSO ERM (2004) the framework principle of integrated risk management consists of eight interconnected components. In the meantime, an amendment to the original principles of integrated risk management (COSO 2017 - Enterprise Risk Management - Integrating with Strategy and Performance) has been published, which emphasizes the importance of considering risks in the process of formulating strategy and achieving desired goals. The integrated risk management model presented in this paper is adaptable to all quality systems and management models for entity management and guidance. Unlike the existing models, it quantifies the magnitudes of inherent risk, its reduction based on the control environment and the internal control system, as well as the residual risk.
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Thanks to the evaluation of the entity’s materiality, which is based on the existing business balances projected into the future and the analysis of business continuity, managing the entity is future-oriented. The risk management process is an integral part of planning and managing a business process [4, 5]. This process needs to be carried out during the construction of the development plan and the annual work plan, as well as during the introduction of new business processes. Managing risks related to business processes, i.e. business goals, is carried out indirectly by risk management that is integrated into the planning process or directly for individual business processes. The risk map is the sum of all individually identified risks, described and evaluated in individual risk questionnaires [6]. The Risk Map is established based on risk analysis from the aspect of external and internal risk factors. The Risk Map is reviewed and updated on annual basis. In case of significant changes in the business organization, as well as in case of significant changes in business processes and necessarily, the Risk Map is updated and re-evaluated in detail every three years. The functioning of the system of internal controls implemented in the entity’s acts and legal provisions is assessed based on the defined Risk Map. 2.1 Assessing the Identified Risks The identified risks in business processes are assessed through an individual risk questionnaire. The individual risk questionnaire contains: Name of the risk; Description of the risk; Causes of the risk; Consequences of the risk; Name of the business process in which the risk has been identified; Name of the risk group; Name of the person, process owner, who is responsible for taking measures to reduce the risk; Probability of occurrence of an adverse event; Financial impact of the adverse event; Total impact of the adverse event; Description of existing control instrument; Evaluated effect of control measures taken; Residual risk; Proposed measures that need to be additionally taken to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.
Fig. 1. The probability of occurrence and the financial impact of the adverse event
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The model of determining inherent risk is based on the sum of probability of risk occurrence and its financial impact (Fig. 1). The first step in risk management is to determine or assess its frequency, as well as its impact on the company’s operations. Risk evaluation is expressed in absolute figures of the sum of individual probabilities of occurrence and financial impact, and the total possible sum of both effects 10 (ten). The individual evaluation is shown below. The probability of occurrence of an adverse event is determined on a scale of 0–5. The financial impact of the adverse event also determined on a scale of 0–5. In addition to these two assessments, the risk assessment instrument also includes the evaluation of the impact of established control instruments. If the previous risk was represented by the following formula [7]: Z = NR + PR
(1)
where: NR - probability of risk occurrence PR - financial impact of the risk. The financial impact of the adverse event is expressed on a scale of 0–5, depending on the materiality of negative effects, calculated in accordance with the calculation of materiality based on the audit method and financial effects in relation to balance sheet items, along with the ratio analysis of financial data and using Altman’s Z-scores for predicting future operation. It is calculated during each re-creation of the Risk Map, reported business results, as well as significant events in the company’s operation. The model could be represented by the following formula: Z = (NR + PR) − KI
(2)
Here, in addition to the above-mentioned probability of occurrence of an adverse event and its financial impact, we also have KI (impact of the established control instruments). These instruments could also be evaluated on a scale of 0–5, so that, for example, if the probability of risk is high and we express it on a scale with 4, and the impact is also high (4), but we have significant control instruments established and we express them as 5, we would get: Z = (4 + 4) − 5 = 3
(3)
Without evaluating the control instruments (the existing system of internal controls), this adverse event would be ranked on the scale as 8, which means that it represents a significant risk that has the possibility of frequent occurrence and a large financial impact on business. However, when we consider internal controls, we see that they reduce the risk to 3, which means that the possibilities of its occurrence, as well as the consequences, will be noticed in time and that it will be managed successfully. The reduction of the measured inherent risk based on the impact of the assessed overall control environment, as the assessment of the Internal Control System applied in the specific business process, is measured on a scale from 0 to 5. As we already pointed out, the entity’s materiality threshold, obtained by the audit method, we adjust to the future by analyzing the existing verified financial statements and Altman’s Z-score method of predicting the future operations of business entities.
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The advantage of the Z-score model is that it projects individual balance sheet items into the future and “amortizes” any manipulations performed on individual items in the financial statement. Indicators can be defined as follows: a)Ratio H1 is the measure of the company’s net liquid assets in relation to the total capitalization; the higher the H1 , the higher is the liquidity of the company. b) Companies with high retained earnings in relation to the total assets finance their assets through profit retention. The higher the H2 ratio, the higher the degree of self-financing of the company. c) Ratio H3 is a measure of true productivity of the company’s assets, independent of any tax or other factor. The higher the H3 , the higher is the company’s profitability. d) Measure H4 indicates the level to which the value of the company’s assets can drop (measured by the market value of shares plus debt) before liabilities exceed assets and the company becomes insolvent. The higher the H4 , the higher is the level of debt service. e). The capital turnover ratio is the usual financial ratio that shows how the realization generates the solvency of the company’s assets. The higher the H5 , the higher is the turnover ratio of assets. The Original Method [8]: Z = 1, 2x1 + 1, 4x2 + 3, 3x3 + 0, 6x4 + 0, 999x5
(4)
Prediction zones: Z > 2.99 safe; 1.8 < Z < 2.99 Gy; Z < 1.80 black. Where: x1 - working capital/total assets; x2 - retained earnings/total assets; x3 - profit before tax/total assets; x4 - market value of shares/total liabilities; x5 - realization/total assets. There are also modified models for private companies and non-manufacturing (service-providing) companies. 2.2 Evaluating the Internal Control System Evaluating the internal control system is also performed on a scale from 0 to 5, which is presented in Table 1. Evaluated as 0 means that there is no internal control system, 1 indicates that it is not documented, 2 indicates a weak system, 3 means that the system is solid with certain weaknesses, 4 that the system is good, but there is a room for improvement, while 5 indicates that the system is well established in accordance with the strategy. Reliable evaluation of the internal control system requires defining a reliable and valid questionnaire. In our model, the questionnaire is defined and includes 4 sets. Each set consists of a subgroup, and each subgroup includes a number of questions. The questionnaire consists of 4 sets of questions related to: features and integrity of management; organizational and managerial structure; nature of the company’s business and that of the business environment; financial result. It can be expanded or shortened, depending on the company where the evaluation of the internal control system is performed. The existing internal control system is evaluated based on the questionnaire and analysis of the company’s operation. In addition to the adequacy of the internal control system, Table 1 presents the level of assurance, as well as the effectiveness of the internal control system.
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Table 1. Assessment of the internal control system Score
Level of assurance
Adequacy of the internal control system
Efficacy of the internal control system
0 1
No assurance
Does not exists
Does not exists
Low level of assurance
Undocumented, personalized, irregular controls
Very weak system, with the possibility of a number intentional and unintentional errors in managerial and operative processes
2
Limited assurance
Weak system, possibility of deviation from goals
Weak, incomplete system, does not allow communication of management and leaves room for errors
3
Adequate assurance
Solid control system with weaknesses that can endanger reaching the goals
Efficient control system, with weaknesses than can lead to failure in achieving the set goals
4
Significant assurance
Solid system with a room for Efficient control system with improvement a room for improvements
5
Full assurance
Good system in accordance with the strategy and appetite for risk
Efficient, effective, and cost-effective control system, oriented towards achieving the goals
2.3 Risk Management Based on the Proposed Model The applied model of implementing the risk management process after the established starting point - business objectives in the business process – consists of the following four steps [9]: Event identification; Risk identification and assessment; Acting to reduce risk; Monitoring and reporting. For the identified and evaluated risks, all executives, each from their field, propose measures for their solution in cooperation with the risk coordinator, based on the updated Risk Map. Executives analyze the identified risks and measures to prevent or mitigate them, and in cooperation with the risk coordinator determine priorities in risk management and submit a Risk Reduction Action Plan to the director/chairman of the Executive Board. The risk mitigation action plan defines the risks, the place where the risk occurs, the way of controlling it, and/or other measures that would reduce the risks to an acceptable level. Based on the Risk Reduction Action Plan, the director makes a decision, which defines the risks that need to be addressed as a priority, as well as the ways and time frames for their resolution in the coming period. Through the established management system and the corresponding information system, it is necessary to enable all employees to have clear and precise orders and instructions on their role and responsibilities in relation to the risk management process.
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At the end of this presentation, it is necessary to stress that the COSO model is effective only when all five components exist and in function. Therefore, the goal is to improve all those components that lack the satisfactory level of efficiency, while regularly monitoring and continuing good management, updating the data of all components that are well developed and allow the good operation of the control system within each public entity.
3 Conclusion We are witnessing a growing awareness of importance and role of the risk management function, as evidenced by the growing number of organizations seeking to integrate some of the risk management systems into their organizational culture and management system. Trends in the introduction of risk management have also been encouraged by the necessity of overcoming the consequences of the financial crisis. They are initiated by the introduction of business quality systems, and the current Covid 19 virus pandemic has highlighted the need for organized business risk management. Identification and analysis of risks that may occur and prevent the achievement of goals and business plans cannot be carried out without a defined strategy and goals. Risk management should be seen as a process that connects business strategy, people, technology, knowledge and information tailored to management decisions. All stakeholders are taken into account: capital owners, creditors, managers, employees, customers and the wider community in which the company operates. Risk management is becoming a strategic tool for business decision makers. Whether it is a for-profit or non-profit organization, the goal of the integrated risk management model is to identify and quantify the risks that may jeopardize the set goals (short-term and long-term). The risk management model presented in this paper quantifies the inherent risks from the aspect of future operation, quantifies the internal control systems based on in-depth analysis of the control environment of the company and presents the results of various quantification tools through risk questionnaires related to business processes as an integral risk portfolio, which makes a managerial tool for conducting business and taking further action to reduce residual risks. In addition to integration with the company’s strategy, it represents the metrics needed to better understand the importance of input risk, highlights the need for a better evaluation of the company’s existing internal control system, and thus information on the position of residual risk within the appetite for risk. According to this Model, the position of residual risk within the identified appetite for risks in the operation at the strategic level of the organization is the basis for action planning of measures aimed at reducing risk, or taking the risk in new business ventures, thus representing a planned strategic management instrument.
References 1. Tomaševi´c, I., Stojanovi´c, D., Simeunovi´c, B., Radovi´c, M.: QMS certification according To ISO 9001 model as a basis for BPM. VIII Skup privrednika i nauˇcnika (2011) 2. Almeida, R., Teixeira, J., Mira, M., da Silva, P., Faroleiro, P.: A conceptual model for enterprise risk management. J. Enterp. Inf. Manag. 32(5), 843–868 (2019)
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3. Moeller, R.R.: COSO Enterprise Risk Management: Understanding the New Integrated ERM Framework. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken (2007) 4. Rosemann, M., Muehlen, M.Z.: Integrating risks in business process models. In: ACIS 2005 Proceedings (2005) 5. Dickstein, D.I., Flast, R.H.: No Excuses: A Business Process Approach to Managing Operational Risk, 1st edn. Wiley, Hoboken (2008) 6. Scandizzo, S.: Risk mapping and key risk indicators in operational risk management. Econ. Notes Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA 34(2–2005), 231–256 (2005) 7. Schechtman, E.: Odds Ratio, relative risk, absolute risk reduction, and the number needed to treat—which of these should we use? Value Health 5, 431–436 (2002) 8. Altman, E.I.: An Emerging Market Credit Scoring System for Corporate Bonds. NYU Stern School of Business, New York (2005) 9. Suriadi, S., et al.: Current research in risk-aware business process management - overview, comparison, and gapanalysis. Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst. 34(1), 933–984 (2014)
Collective Aspects of Capability-Based Innovating Firm Alpar Lošonc , Andrea Ivaniševi´c(B)
, Mladen Radiši´c , and Ivana Kati´c
Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. The paper comprises two parts and a conclusion. The first part shows why capability-theory is relevant for the management and some moments selected particularly in relation to this subject. We offer argumentation for five aspects (relevance of management, capabilities and constitutive position of managementsubjectivity, management in the context of endogenous and exogeneous heteregeneity of firms, capabilities and resilience, capability theory and knowledgeintensive firms). The second part presents two serious problems that the capability theory faces: a) individual and collective aspects of knowledge in the firm, b) processuality of knowledge-appropriation. Finally, in the conclusion, management is emphasized as the process of trade-offs between different aspects of firm. Keywords: Innovating firm · Dynamic capabilities · Strategic management
1 The Scope of Capability Theory for Management The origin of capability theory lies in strategic management. The theory developed there and spread to various aspects relevant for the theory of management. Equally important is its relation with other economic theories, that is, their critical discourse. Namely, the criticism developed by capability theory in relation to the neoclassical theory of the firm is particularly important as it points to the key moments in the life of a firm that can by no means found in neoclassical theory (which typically starts from the well-known “homogenized” production function). Relevant studies reveal various forms of capabilities such as “organizational capabilities” [1], “operational capabilities” [2], “dynamic capabilities” [3], “ordinary capabilities” [4], “knowledge-based capabilities” [5], “slack-related capabilities”[6] (Edith Penrose [7] strongly emphasized the presence of slack in any time sequence in the company). This is not the exhausted list; it could be expanded even further. However, regardless of the differences, there is a common thread that highlights the exceptional relevance of capabilities in a dynamic business environment where change, shocks, alternations, “unpredictability” and acceleration have become something usual. The capability theory sheds light on the dynamic constellation of the firm as an organizational unit in an environment where “creative destruction” and the corresponding consequences are the © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 318–325, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_42
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norm. It is not a coincidence that the discussed theory has gained in importance in recent decades when market rationality has intensified both locally and globally. It would be too much to analyze the “sources” [8] of capabilities in this paper. Yet, we can present a minimum of theory that our opinion is based on and what could be a possible basis for further research. Our work also has other limitations in that it does not consider more complex forms of “knowledge-exchange”, transfer-processes in the complex intra-firm relations, or in the network relations [9]. Thus, we are interested in capability theory for the following reasons. First, it is so elaborated that it can present crucial importance of management for the life of the firm. The development of “dynamic capability” makes the manager become a relevant subject, that is, in contrast to the economic theories that make the role of the manager almost redundant, we have a constitutive managerial subjectivity developed here. Capability theory was earlier interpreted as a managerial-strategic theory of firm [10]. The capability theory gives us the opportunity to discuss about the entrepreneurial performance of the manager as well as his/her results relating to know-how, assetscommanding activities, or the engagement in development of the processes of learning and establishment of organizational and habitual chains between learning, knowledge and innovation-based practice. Management-subjectivity presupposes the “encompassing” of various activities within a firm that lead to the creation of a firm identity. In addition to “encompassing”, the manager is also associated with the activity of "framing" i.e. “sense-making” [11]: in a dynamic environment exposed to constant change, the manager interprets the changes, conceptualizes dynamics that is ambivalent, heterogeneous and exposed to many interpretations. More precisely, management in the indicated constitutive sense conditions the ways of responsiveness of the members of the firm. “Meaningful structures” of the company arise as a result of selected activities of managers in relation to market situations and processes. Second, the dynamic theory of a firm with a constitutive role of manager does not presuppose a simple application of the “incentive and response” scheme. Of course, there are “mechanisms” [12]. that involve “operations, administration and governance of the firm’s activities, make a firm capable of producing and selling a defined (and hence static) set of products and services using known technologies, thereby generating at best competitive (and therefore competitively uninteresting) financial returns” [13]. In other words, the mechanisms or “reproductive forms of action” within the company are forms of “ordinary capabilities”. However, there is a wide range of phenomena that cannot be encompassed by these forms of capabilities, and “dynamic capabilities”, as we see them, converge with such a zone that requires not reproductive but “productive action” that cannot be explained by the mechanisms in the indicated sense (it is not accidental that Keynes’ animal spirit is found in some interpretations of dynamic capabilities, which is the absolute opposite of “mechanisms”). “Dynamic capabilities” develop in the context of non-linear changes [14]. If we treat innovation as “productive action” then these forms of capabilities are a prerequisite for innovation. This does not necessarily imply the difference between dynamic and ordinary capabilities. Every productive action is a reformation of the reproductive forms of action in the firm and, consequently, there is always an interaction between dynamic and ordinary capabilities.
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Subjectivity of the manager is manifested through mediation between both forms of capabilities in the firm. Third, the constitutiveness of managerial subjectivity presupposes the emergence of heterogeneity of different firms. Instead of homogenization that occurs with the monolithic application of production function á la neoclassical theory, management is here a constitutive element of identity as an idiosyncratic form of the firm. At the same time, this implies that the use of technology and R&D are not developed automatically on the basis of market mechanisms, but that the same processes are the fruit of internal efforts and transformations, i.e. “encompassing” of internal capabilities of firm that allow intensive processing of external incentives. Capability theory offers an explanation of the firm as an organization that is embedded in cultural patterns, institutions, certain market and non-market environment, and it represents an organizational “response” to the complex and changing environment. The indicated heterogeneity can be endogenous and exogenous. When discussing exogenous heterogeneity, then it is the heterogeneity of different firms competing in the market, and they are exposed to the imperatives of market rationality. If we talk about endogenous heterogeneity, then we discuss the possible multidimensionality of the capabilities of the firm (part of which is a multiproduct firm, [15]), i.e. endogenous heterogeneities of business lines. Here, the issue to be explored is which modalities (homogeneous or heterogeneous) ordinary capabilities appear in, that is, what internal heterogeneity of ordinary capabilities exists at the level of the whole company [16]. Fourth, capability theory can be viewed as a response to one of the key problems of management in recent years, namely, resilience [17, 18]. Originally, it was a psychological problem, but the term became especially relevant due to the eruption of crisis dynamics and disorders in general, that is, due to the perpetuation of instabilities and unfamiliarity during the crisis in recent years. Resilience refers to the power of resistance that develops in relation to the mentioned unfamiliarity. “Habits as resilience” is also a notion that was not originally from the management; however, it should be noted that habit “as disposition” plays a significant role in firm theories that are based on evolutionary theories, which consider firm’s performance in a dynamic environment based on the evolutionary components [19]. It is not a coincidence that capabilities are regarded as in close relation to the notion of habits. A firm as an organization with appropriate management results enables the development of such habits. Accordingly, we think that capabilities should be treated as a “condition for resilience”. Fifth, the capability theory is indispensable from the aspect of knowledge discussion, more precisely in relation to the firm that is knowledge-based. We know that the field of knowledge, acquisition and dissemination of knowledge challenges management. Namely, there are reasons why the application of mechanisms such as market and hierarchy fail in terms of knowledge management [20]. Neither the market nor the hierarchy (or their “combination”) can cope with the dynamics of knowledge in modern economics. Capability theory and its emphasis on the constitutive role of management in the absolute market rationality breaks up with the equalization of the firm and the mechanisms of the decentralized market, where there is an intact continuity between
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the market and the firm. At the same time, it enables the development of argumentation against the reduction of management in the sense of introduction of hierarchical patterns in the firm. This, as we will see later, puts the manager in a position to implement various mechanisms of “trade-off”. In addition, capability theory places the firm in the perspective of “endogenously constituted knowledge” and “procedural interactions between firm members” [10].
2 Two Problems with the Treatment of Knowledge in a Firm and Capability Theory Knowledge and knowledge acquiring in a firm has been the subject of numerous research during the past decades. The list of relevant articles [21] is impressive. Knowledgemanagement has been analyzed many times. Undoubtedly, this shows how important knowledge is in a company and modern society and also how important is the problem of knowledge management, that is, knowledge-based resources (anyway, there are various terms in which knowledge appears as a leading indication, for example, knowledgecapitalism, etc.). In case of a company, emphasizing the importance of knowledge is reflected in a way of presenting the knowledge as an extraordinary factor in the company’s positioning on a market. We have already mentioned that there is endogenous knowledge and processual interaction between company members. This leads us to two problems that we would like to point out. A) According to well-known methodological individualism [12, 22], an individual is “repository/bearer” of knowledge, that is, “immaterial assets”. Some theorists express real doubt about abandoning methodological individualism in the theory of a firm. However, if an atomized individual were promoted in a firm, then the firm would represent just a mechanical sum of different individuals who would act as individual bearers of knowledge. This would mean that if a company member leaves a firm (for example, he/she can easily be sacked), then he/she also takes with them the elements of knowledge-asset, that is, knowledge is fixed to individual level. However, this is contradictory to basic assumptions of capability-theory. It is already indicative that there are different expressions (even based on empirical data) that refer to a company as a bearer/repository of knowledge which connect us with collective dimensions. This way, a research on learning registers a phenomenon of “learning organization”. Moreover, the fact that market routes depend on capabilities of firm for learning [23] is emphasized. In other words, a firm is treated as an “epistemic community” (Knorr-Cetina) with “transindividual aspects”. Therefore, a firm/organization represents a “learning entity” that is constantly updated. Naturally, there are different learning concepts in a firm, but here we can discuss about “socio-cognitive orientations” [24] that involve “social” dimensions in the firm itself. It is the chain of learning/innovation/knowledge that enables accumulation of knowledge in a firm to provide successful and favorable market positioning. In addition, some research explicitly indicate to organizational memory, that is, “cognitive memory” that is associated with favorable activities in a firm in which memory is stored [25]. Therefore, there is actually accumulated memory that surpasses individual
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mental capacities and is connected with firm/organization as an “organizational capability”, which confirms the fact that trans-individual aspects play constitutive role in firm development. In other words, these examples show that methodological individualism fails in including social-collective dimensions in firm articulation. B) Knowledge as intellectual-cognitive and “intangible” resource or “assets” is acquired in a processual way [26]. Simplified concepts of learning and knowledge that infer a linear relationship between an assumed goal and realized result should be denied; we should also deny the existence of scheme that projects pre-determined intention which is linearly confirmed through the entire process. This would misrepresent processuality of “endogenous” acquiring of knowledge in a firm and the fact that acquiring knowledge is not a straightforward way towards the assumed goal. In fact, this description of knowledge and learning-based processes would make management unnecessary again because it “encompasses” the processes that involve nonlinear sequences, deviations, irregularities, moving forward and backward. Innovations can occur in “marginal areas” and in multiple forms. Researchers state that innovations arise in such a way that certain problems are, first, perceived as “anomalies” [27], that is, as mere deviations, so that forms of innovations can occur as a response to the same problem. The idea which is first analyzed as “anomaly” further becomes the important source of innovation. This does not mean that there is no practice in setting goals by managers, but that the same goals arise only in the processes that lead to knowledge. We can, therefore, discuss about processual way of setting goals. Reductive approach to knowledge, which is always contextual in relation to capabilities of a firm, is not sufficient for clear distinguishing between knowledge and information, or through this approach, knowledge is treated as a mere “application of information” thus causing the complexity of knowledge to be lost. Knowledge in a firm/organization cannot be observed as a property. To be precise, knowledge in a firm cannot be modeled based on exclusive property. The only way of understanding the knowledge that is “embedded” in company’s life is by understanding the inclusiveness of knowledge. This means that instead of separate knowledge modality, knowledge in a firm is analyzed as “sharing”, “in-between”, “heterogeneous fluid element”, and company’s members are considered to be “knowledge-brokers“ [28]. “In-between” means that knowledge is “shared” among members of the firm in constant circulation of knowledge and information. “Inclusiveness” actually converges with the term public good as used in economic theory [29]. Knowledge is “inclusive good” of a firm. Therefore, capability-theory is important because it provides answers to the questions relating to processuality of knowledge in the firm and relationship between individual and collective horizons of the firm. This theory is viewed as subtle “trade-off” between “individual interactions” in a firm and collective horizon of the firm. Management is also the bearer of this “trade-off” between “individual and collective horizons of the firm”. Capability theory does not converge with unreflective methodological collectivism because it accepts individual results or individual motivations, but it does not accept an individual as ultimate “bearer” of “separate” knowledge. Considering intersubjective processes in a firm, capability theory is open to micro-foundation of capabilities but without subordinating to one-sidedness of methodological individualism. In other words, it accepts macrohorizon of the firm in terms that the firm can be a bearer of knowledge
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and memory but does not underestimate microhorizon [30] in terms of openness to individual intentions and aspirations of company members. It can provide information for management theory on the operation of the firm that cannot be reduced to a set of production factors and which assumes complex organization of “intangible assets”.
3 Conclusion Capability theory is important for management theory because it provides better understanding of relevant processes and opens up perspectives on explanations for the following issues: a) their articulation can enable us to understand business-meditated practice encompassed by management in the perspective of constant fluctuations and acceleration of different market mechanisms at different levels, b) we understand the way in which management develops its effects in complex endogenous and exogenous environment by having “bounded cognitive capabilities” and knowledge-forms of agents in a firm, c) we can explain trade-off realized by management connecting “bounded cognitive capabilities” with such evolutionary aspects as routines, habits, and “habits as resilience“ as “dispositional features” in the context of “deep uncertainties” of modern business. d) knowledge can be understood as autonomous instance that determines internal and external processes of a company and creates company’s identity, e) we can cast light on certain processes such as chain between learning-knowledgeinnovation, that is, we can thematize strategic achievements of management within this chain, f) we can understand constitutive inter-subjective relationships between company’s members and develop mediation between micro and macro elements of a company, thus enabling understanding of the circulation of knowledge among micro and macro elements of a company. Based on what we have said so far, it can be concluded that development of capabilities of a firm should fall into traditional classification of resources [31]. Knowledge is here understood as an “emergent” in relation to stocks of a firm, or in other words, the firm is a dynamic constellation between tangible and intangible resources and management must be analyzed in this perspective. This paper focuses on affirmation of management of knowledge as non-trivial trade-off between tangible and intangible “assets and resources”.
References 1. Helfat, C.E., Peteraf, M.: The dynamic resource-based view: capability lifecycles. Strateg. Manag. J. 24(10), 997–1010 (2003) 2. Winter, S.: Understanding dynamic capabilities. Strateg. Manag. J. 24(10), 991–995 (2003)
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3. Inan, G., Bititci, U.: Understanding organizational capabilities and dynamic capabilities in the context of micro enterprises: a research agenda. Procedia Social Behav. Sci. 210, 310–319 (2015) 4. Teece, D.J.: The foundations of enterprise performance: dynamic and ordinary capabilities in an (economic) theory of firms. Acad. Manag. Perspect. 28(4), 328–352 (2014) 5. Teece, D.J.: Towards a capability theory of (innovating) firms: implications for management and policy. Camb. J. Econ. 41, 693–720 (2017) 6. Renzi, A., Simone, C.: Innovation, tangible and intangible resources: the space of slacks interaction. Strateg. Chang. 20(1–2), 59–71 (2011) 7. Penrose, E.: The Theory of the Growth of the Firm. Basil Blackwell, Oxford (1959) 8. Foss, N.J., Heimeriks, K.H., Winter, S.G., Zollo, M.: Commentary a hegelian dialogue on the micro-foundations of organizational routines and capabilities. Eur. Manag. Rev. 9, 173–197 (2012) 9. Kase, R., Paauwe, J., Zupan, N.: HR practices, interpersonal relations, and intrafirm knowledge transfer in knowledge-intensive firms: a social network perspective. Hum. Resour. Manag. 48(4), 615–639 (2009) 10. Lošonc, A., Ivaniševi´c, A., Stajner, S.: Conceptualization and application of capability theory. In: Anderla, A. (ed.). 17th International Scientific Conference on Industrial Systems – Proceedings, pp. 376–381. University of Novi Sad – Faculty of Technical Sciences, Novi Sad (2017) 11. Maitlis, S., Christianson, M.: Sensemaking in organizations: taking stock and moving forward. Acad. Manag. Ann. 8(1), 57–125 (2014) 12. Elster, J.: Explaning Social Behavior More Nuts and Bolster for the Social Sciences. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2015) 13. Teece, D.: Towards a capability theory of (innovating) firms: implications for management and policy. Camb. J. Econ. 41(3), 693–720 (2017) 14. Styhre, A.: Non-linear change in Organizations: organizations change management informed by complexity theory. Leadersh. Org. Dev. J. 23(6), 343–351 (2002) 15. Lu, Y., Zhou, L., Bruton, G., Li, W.: Capabilities as a mediator linking resources and the international performance of entrepreneurial firms in an emerging economy. J. Int. Bus. Stud. 41(3), 419–436 (2010) 16. Pitelis, C.N., Teece, D.J.: Cross-border market co-creation, dynamic capabilities and the entrepreneurial theory of the multinational enterprise. Ind. Corp. Chang. 19(4), 1247–1270 (2010) 17. Pedersen, M.: The resilience of habit. Ephemera 18(2), 1–20 (2018) 18. Kramm, M.: Capability and habit. J. Glob. Ethics 15(2), 183–192 (2019) 19. Hodgson, G.: Conceptualizing Capitalism, Institutions, Evolution Future. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London (2015) 20. Adler, P.S.: Market, hierarchy, and trust: the knowledge economy and the future of capitalism. Organ. Sci. 12(2), 215–234 (2001) 21. Hislop, D.: Knowledge management as an ephemeral management fashion? J. Knowl. Manag. 14(6), 779–790 (2010) 22. Hodgson, G.: Knowledge at work: some neoliberal anachronisms. Rev. Soc. Econ. 63(4), 547–565 (2005) 23. Garvin, D.A., Edmondson, A.C., Gino, F.: Is yours a learning organization? Harv. Bus. Rev. 86(3), 109–116 (2008) 24. Guile, D., Fosstenløkken, S.M.: Introduction to the special issue: knowledge dynamics, innovation and learning. Ind. Innov. 25(4), 333–338 (2018) 25. Dosi, G., Marengo, L., Paraskevopoulou, E., Valente, M.: A model of cognitive and operational memory of organizations in changing worlds. Camb. J. Econ. 41, 775–806 (2017)
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26. Maitlis, S.: The social processes of organizational sensemaking. Acad. Manag. J. 48(1), 21–49 (2005) 27. Mazzacuto, M.: From market-fixing to market-creation: a new framework for innovation policy. Ind. Innov. 23(2), 140–156 (2016) 28. Styhre, A.: The knowledge-intensive company and the economy of sharing: rethinking utility and knowledge management. Knowl. Process. Manag. 9(4), 228–236 (2002) 29. Bramoullé, Y., Kranton, R.: Public goods in networks. J. Econ. Theory 135(1), 478–494 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jet.2006.06.006 30. Teece, D.J.: Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and micro-foundations of (sustainable) enterprise performance. Strateg. Manag. J. 28(13), 1319–1350 (2007) 31. Kamasak, R.: The contribution of tangible and intangible resources, and capabilities to a firm’s profitability and market performance. Eur. J. Manag. Bus. Econ. 26(2), 252–275 (2017)
Data Literacy: An Essential Skill for the Industry Manuel Leon-Urrutia1 , Davide Taibi2 , Vera Pospelova3 , Sergio Splendore4 , Laimute Urbsiene5 , and Ugljesa Marjanovic6(B) 1 Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK 2 National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Educational Technology, Palermo, Italy 3 University of Alcala, Alcala de Henares, Spain 4 University of Milan, Milan, Italy 5 Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania 6 Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
[email protected]
Abstract. Data literacy is the ability to read, write, critically assess, communicate and extract value of data in different contexts. As such, data literacy is a key competence in the current digital economy, where most transactions require handling high amounts and variety of data. For a data literate workforce in the data-driven industry, there is a critical need for training and educational curricula that address this key competence, both in Higher Education and professional development programs. Through a systematic desk research spanning over 15 European countries, this paper sheds light on how data literacy is addressed in European Higher Education and professional training. Official syllabuses and educational documents have been examined to determine the strengths and challenges of data literacy enhancement, and identify the needs and opportunities for data literacy-specific training programs that promote a data-driven culture within the European industry ecosystem. Keywords: Data literacy · Information systems · Data knowledge
1 Introduction Data literacy is becoming critical in the industry and is considered the most important new skill of the 21st century [1]. Data literate employees can enhance the decision-making process and increase competitiveness of a company. Data literacy involves training individuals to access, assess, manipulate, summarize and pre-sent data [2]. Mandinach and Gummer [3] stated that data literacy requires knowledge of other data, such as perception, motivation, process, and behavior. An intricate and rich terminology exists that includes or overlaps with the basic meanings we provided about data literacy (see [2]). “Information literacy”, “Digital literacy”, “Data education”, “Data analytics”, “Data science”, “Digital literacy”, “Media literacy”, “Statistical literacy” to mention just few of those terms that may overlap with “data literacy”. Therefore, it is still not clear what © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 326–331, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_43
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is meant by data literacy and skills and knowledge needed to engage in data use and a variety of data. One of the most precise definitions comes from Gartner. According to Gartner [4] “data literacy is the ability to read, write and communicate data in context, with an understanding of the data sources and constructs, analytical methods and techniques applied, and the ability to describe the use case application and resulting business value or outcome.” Schildkamp [5] found that data literacy is the key factor for to improve the quality of teaching and learning when it comes to using data. Industry and academia need to work closely to decrease the gap of understanding what data literacy is. What seems to lack in current academia offers needed for the industry is instead what Grey and colleagues would define as “emphasis on developing critical scrutiny, reflexivity, inventiveness and “infrastructural imagination’ document the sources used” [1]. Data infrastructure literacy programs aim not only to equip people with data skills and data science but also to cultivate sensibilities for data sociology, data culture and data politics, what here appears to miss. Occupations that are demanding “data literacy” related terms are shown in Table 1. This information is provided by Skills Online Vacancy Analysis Tool for Europe (OVATE), which is mapped to European Skills/Competences, qualifications and Occupations (ESCO). Table 1. Occupations that are demanding “data literacy” Data literacy related skill
Occupation (4 digits ESCO) % Online advertise-ments for occupations containing the selected skills
Perform data analysis
Financial analysts
50.5
Life science technicians
43.7
Database and network professionals
39.9
Mathematicians, actuaries, and statisticians
35.5
Systems analysts
31.8
Industrial and production engineers
31.5
Pawnbrokers and money-lenders
82.2
Credit and loans officers
63.9
Advertising and marketing professionals
53.7
Management and organization analysts
50.2
Manage data, information and digital content
(continued)
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Data literacy related skill
Occupation (4 digits ESCO) % Online advertise-ments for occupations containing the selected skills Announcers on radio, television and other media
48.8
Journalists
37.8
The aforementioned data literacy gap is global, and Europe is not an exception. The European Commission (EC) is placing emphasis and allocating resources to address the shortage of a data literate workforce in the region. One of the many initiatives promoted by the EC is the DEDALUS project under the Erasmus + umbrella. The ultimate aim of this project is to bridge the gap between universities and industry by providing a training program for European professionals and Higher Education students near to be incorporated in the job market, which specifically addresses data literacy. DEDALUS project has different stages, the first of which is obtaining an overview of how data literacy is addressed in European Higher Education Institutions and Professional Development programs. The focus of this article is this first stage of the project. The DEDALUS consortium is formed by universities, research centers, data journalism companies and blended learning cooperatives from different European countries including Italy, the UK, Serbia, Lithuania, Spain, and Austria. The consortium has endeavored to find out the current picture of data literacy provision across Europe, as will be described in the next section.
2 Methodology To determine the current state of the art of data literacy provision in Europe, the consortium produced the following research questions: • How is data literacy approached in the Higher Education competency frameworks in different country-region, if existent? • How do Higher Education curricula across all disciplines cover data literacy related topics? • Do national HE curricula address specific aspects of data literacy reflected in national/European digital competence frameworks (e.g. Digicomp [6])? The DEDALUS consortium conducted a desk study with the above questions in mind. Each of the eight components of the consortium was allocated to two European countries. This way, the consortium covered fourteen countries across a wide range of geographical areas. The observed countries were Portugal, France, Austria, Latvia, Netherlands, Croatia, Romania, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Germany, the UK and Romania. Each partner searched according to their own searching habits, to the best of their abilities, although there was a common searching sequence:
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1. Searching the partner’s own institution, aiming at finding data literacy modules, or modules where data literacy is covered. Search at all levels (undergraduate, masters, doctorate). In order to achieve homogeneity, the search terms were the following: Data literacy, Information literacy, Data literacy in HE, Data skills, Data competence, Data framework, Data awareness, Competences related to data literacy, Data within critical thinking, Data journalism/communication/storytelling, Data interpretation. 2. Searching a second institution in the partner’s country, seeking for modules where data literacy could be covered. 3. Extending the search to the whole partner’s country and repeat for the second country allocated to the partner. 4. Including competency frameworks and related documents (white papers, roadmaps, strategic documents) at all levels: institutional, regional, national, etc. 5. Place emphasis on the learning aims and competencies developed in the observed module syllabuses and programs. 6. Producing a report with all of the above, to be curated once all partners sent it to the coordinator. The report contains a list of the top five most recurrent competencies found in the observed module syllabuses and programs that are related to data literacy.
3 Results and Discussion Despite the homogeneity of the methods used, the results of this desk study were highly diverse. Data literacy definitions vary depending on the country, and the linguistic diversity in Europe carries in some cases the absence of a direct translation. That was the case of countries such as Spain, Serbia, and Lithuania. There was also high variation in the maturity of data literacy-specific nationwide public initiatives. For example, in Ireland and the UK there is a nationwide Data Skills Steering group that produces documents advising on how data literacy can be addressed across all disciplines in British universities [7]. Ireland has also documents at national level which address data literacy aspects in the Irish Higher Education system [8], again across different disciplines not necessarily related to mathematics and computer science. In other countries such as Serbia and Lithuania, no such documents with a focus on data literacy at national level were found, using the same search terms. Instead, in these countries data literacy was embedded in digital skills and competencies frameworks, often translated and adapted from wider European Commission’s documents. In fact, the DigiComp [6] document was the most recurring search result in all observed countries. Its framework is widely used across Europe to determine digital skills and competencies, and it was found highly influential in shaping the curricula of schools, universities and professional development programs across the observed countries. Area 1 of this document places particular emphasis on data literacy in three main areas: 1. Browsing, searching and filtering data, information and digital content 2. Evaluating data, information and digital content 3. Managing data, information and digital content With regard to the observed university curricula, there was also a high diversity found in the way data literacy was approached. However, a common trend was observed:
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different faculties of different academic disciplines included computer science topics in their modules, addressing data literacy aspects, as can be seen in Fig. 1. For example, business faculties across most observed universities included modules with topics such as Big Data, data structures, cloud computing, data analytics and visualization, etc. Applied sciences faculties also offered modules with a high variety of computer science related topics. With regard to learning aims and competencies of the observed programs, these programs aimed at developing a wide range of competencies. After curating all these competencies, the consortium came up with a list of five clusters of competencies: • Data protection and security: Protecting devices, content, personal data and privacy in digital environments complying with existing laws, ethical standards and best practices.
Fig. 1. Links between faculties and computer science topics.
• Data selection and critical assessment: To recognize and select relevant data for identified needs, to extract value from it. • Data processing: To identify and select the most effective data processing methods using state-of-the-art tools and data formats. • Data analysis: To use both quantitative and qualitative methods to extract insights from data in different formats from different sources. • Data visualization: Apply best practices of data visualization in specific contexts (business, science, academia) by using relevant tools and methods. This study provides few important practical implications for the use of data literacy in the higher education in order to move closer and provide essential skills for the industry. 1. It offers novel insights into which specific faculties to offer computer science topics.
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2. Specifically, the outcomes of the desk research process described above can lead to different types of improvement actions (see Fig. 1). For example, it may lead to curriculum changes and include more data literacy specific competencies. 3. There are European solid standards (i.e. ESCO, eCF) which are currently not addressing data literacy and present a valid foundation for this research. However, a unique standard at the EC level is needed for to use of data literacy skills, so that they can monitor, model, scaffold, guide and encourage the use of data [5].
4 Conclusion In this paper, an overview has been provided of how data literacy is addressed in European Higher Education and professional training. Through a systematic desk research spanning over 15 European countries, official syllabuses and educational documents have been examined to determine the strengths and challenges of data literacy enhancement, and identify the needs and opportunities for data literacy-specific training programs that promote a data-driven culture within the European industry ecosystem. This study has limitations that should be considered. Our results are based on the desk research conducted in 15 European countries. Future studies should focus on all countries in Europe to provide higher generalization of the results. In addition, scope of the study was only on hard skills. Future studies should incorporate soft skills (see Skills Match framework) as well since they could be a valuable base for data literacy courses at the Higher Educations in Europe. Funding. This work was supported by the European Commission under the Community programme Erasmus + Key Action 2 Strategic partnership for higher education project “Developing Data Literacy courses for University Students” [grant agreement number 2019–1-IT02-KA203– 063359].
References 1. Gray, J., Gerlitz, C., Bounegru, L.: Data infrastructure literacy. Big Data Soc. 5(2), 1–13 (2018) 2. Prado, J.C., Marzal, M.Á.: Incorporating data literacy into information literacy programs: core competencies and contents. Libri 63(2), 123–134 (2013) 3. Mandinach, E.B., Gummer, E.S.: A systemic view of implementing data literacy in educator preparation. Educ. Res. 42(1), 30–37 (2013) 4. Gartner Inc. https://www.gartner.com/en/information-technology/glossary/data-literacy, Accessed 22 July 2020 5. Schildkamp, K.: Data-based decision-making for school improvement: research insights and gaps. Educ. Res. 61(3), 257–273 (2019) 6. Vuorikari, R., Punie, Y., Carretero, S., van den Brande, L.: Digi-Comp 2.0: the digital competence framework for citizens. Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Brussels (2016) 7. Dimond, I.: Making the Most of Data: Data skills Training in English Universities. Universities UK, London (2015) 8. National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Irish Higher Education: A Roadmap for Enhancement in a Digital World. Teaching and Learning, Dublin (2015)
European Startup Ecosystem as a Star of Economic Development - c, and Olivera Cikota Aleksandar Veki´c(B) , Jelena Borocki, Kristina Ðordi´ Faculty of Technical Sciences, Trg Dositeja Obradovi´ca 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia [email protected]
Abstract. In the recent years, startup ecosystems have been receiving increasing attention from scientists, governments and entrepreneurs in developed as well as in developing countries. Some of the main advantages of startups are their ability to encourage innovation and make a great contribution to the economic development of the countries. Thanks to the growing support and interest in this type of business and high growth potential, entrepreneurship based on innovation, especially in the form of startups, continue being an important issue for years to come. Its importance will especially be emphasized during the process of defining future development strategies at both micro and macro levels. The aim of this research is to present the most developed European startup ecosystems, and their comparative analysis, according to their basic indicators. In this way, the general picture of the European startup ecosystem will be perceived with the necessary consideration of its specifics and growing potential. Keywords: Startup ecosystems · Entrepreneurship · Innovation · Europe
1 Introduction This paper presents the results of research and analysis of the environment of European startup ecosystems. The economic and human capital for each of the countries presented below was analyzed, as well as data that concern startups, innovation and entrepreneurship. These data are crucial for gaining a complete picture of the country and finding answers to the questions: whether, in what way and to what extent the state implements innovations, supports entrepreneurship and is a suitable ground for the establishment and growth of startups. Above all, innovations depend on social and economic factors. They are conditioned by a constant and deliberate search for changes, creativity and taking actions for their development. Based on Schumpeter’s view [1] that large firms are a more fertile ground for innovation, therefore it can be concluded that technology and market opportunities encourage innovation. The skill to use and exploit these opportunities in the right way is the core of innovation process. On the market, this becomes a problem for some participants, while for some it is chance – which is the essence of entrepreneurship. There are many key factors that have an impact on the rate of entrepreneurship – government, capital, financing, legislation, politics, education, cultural factors, technology, © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 B. Lalic et al. (Eds.): IS 2020, LNMUINEN, pp. 332–339, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97947-8_44
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geographical factors, incubators etc. In its most basic sense, the entrepreneurial system can be defined as “an independent set of actors managed to enable entrepreneurial actions” [2]. Innovation and entrepreneurship together have resulted in one, rather new and increasingly present phenomenon: startups. Startups develop own a business model based on some innovative idea, and their primary goal is to grow and conquer the market. They are outlined by uncertainty and risk, which cause very low survival and success rate of startups. However, those startups that manage to survive and succeed on the market can have a big impact on the economy and reach unimaginable proportions of their businesses. In Europe, the situation in the field of startups varies from country to country, regardless of its size or population. This paper does not only include analysis of developed and large countries such as Germany, France and the United Kingdom, but it also considers developing countries, which, despite a weaker economy, still have a significant role in the ecosystem and contribute to the development of startups in Europe.
2 Literature Review The idea based on entrepreneurial ecosystems emerged during the 1980s and 1990s as part of a shift in entrepreneurial studies, from individual, personal research to a broader community perspective that includes the role of social, cultural and economic forces in the entrepreneurship process. There is still no intelligible definition of entrepreneurial ecosystems. The first component it contains is “entrepreneurship”: a process in which opportunities to create new goods and services are explored, evaluated and exploited. The second component is the term “ecosystem”, which is defined as the biological community along with its environment, and any interaction between living and nonliving beings. Entrepreneurial ecosystems are often high-growth startups and this type of entrepreneurship is an important source of innovation, productivity growth and employment [2]. At the beginning of the 20th century, economist Schumpeter defined an entrepreneur as “a person who brings new ideas to the market and thus causes economic renewal and progress.“ A necessary condition is that these innovations must offer more (or the same, but at lower prices) than the previously existing product [1]. Entrepreneurship, recognition and the search for innovation with the aim of creating new values are increasingly recognized as a mechanism for progress in the economy and the community. Productive entrepreneurial activity, including the creation of new organizations, initiative communities, products and markets, is a source of new jobs, technological innovation and financial independence, which can improve living standards and contribute to changes in culture and society [3]. The introduction and diffusion of an innovation are carried out with the aim of creating economic value. An innovation is said to be successful if it provides value, in other words if the benefits after its realization are greater in relation to the funds invested in its development. An adequate combination of a well-formulated innovative strategy, system and business environment is fundamental to the success of any innovation [4].
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Startup companies are new companies or entrepreneurial ventures that are in the development and market research phase. Blank defined a startup as: “a temporary organization in search of a scalable, repeatable, profitable business model” [5], whereas Ries stated that a startup is “a human institution designed to create a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty” [6]. They are usually, but not necessarily, associated with high-tech projects. Digitization is a strong mega trend that leads to rapid changes in business conditions in all industries, and poses new challenges for companies of all sizes [7]. One interesting fact, obtained on the basis of research, is that technology-oriented startup companies are usually located in major urban centers. The reason is attributed to the need for a market that exceeds the local level. Also, the number of startup companies in the traditional industry and business sector is increasing. Startup companies go through three phases of development during their life cycle. The first phase is the “problem/solution”, which explores whether the market has a problem to solve at all. The second phase is “product/market”, which answers the question of whether the realized idea is really what users need. The third phase is the “scale” and it includes the expansion and growth of startup companies, which leads to an increase in the number of employees, increased market share or increased profit [8]. One of the most important challenges facing technology startups is access to capital [9]. Startup companies that record high growth are economic entities that have managed to commercialize new ideas to a large extent, and in a short period of time. These companies are serious candidates for tomorrow’s leadership in this industry [10]. The European startup scene has been in the shadow of Silicon Valley for a long time, since it has been the world’s number one startup ecosystem for years. The development of the European startup ecosystem has shown that it cannot be a copy of the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem, but that its construction requires development based on the existing strengths of the European economy [11]. First, there was London, Paris, Berlin and Stockholm, but now startups are emerging across Europe, creating a strong interconnected ecosystem [12]. In the past three decades, there have been sudden changes in the terms of ecosystems. The startup ecosystem refers to the phenomenon in which startup companies operate in an environment created to encourage their development and growth. A compatible ecosystem is important for the formation and support of these companies. Startup companies are considered a key player in economic development. The reasons for their significance are their contribution to job creation, which thus increase the employment rate, as well as economic growth at the regional, national and industry levels. The concept of ecosystem is also reflected in entrepreneurship. In the entrepreneurial ecosystem, various interdependent actors or components work to create a new business through startups in a geographic region [13]. Key important elements in a startup ecosystem, which are entrepreneurs, technology, market, support factors, finance, human capital, education, and demography can directly or indirectly affect a startup [11]. All participants in startup ecosystem are aware that establishment of new ventures in form of startups has a direct influence on economic growth of the economy and society of every country [14], and an important role in further strengthening of startup ecosystem.
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3 Analysis of European Startup Ecosystems This analysis was made using official data from the Startup Genome report. With more than one hundred clients on five continents in thirty-eight countries, Startup Genome is a leading research and policy advisory organization for governments committed to accelerating the success of their startup ecosystem. Their mission and influence go back more than a decade of independent research with data on over a million companies from 150 cities [15]. In order to present the results of this comparative analysis in a simple and efficient way, this work presents a pictorial presentation of all important parameters for the functioning of the startup ecosystem. 50000
42000
40000
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30000 20000 20000
17000
14000
10000 275
142
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6900
3000
2500
3500
130
0
Serbia Lithuania Estonia Finland Sweden Germany Denmark Netherlands Belgium Spain France United Kingdom Ireland
Fig. 1. Total value of the European startup ecosystem by countries (in mil. e)
Figure 1 shows that The United Kingdom has the highest ecosystem value of e42 bn. This is the only country that is in the phase of integration, the last phase of the life cycle of the startup, so such data were expected. Ireland has the lowest value (e130 mil.). The average value of the ecosystem is e11 bn, while the total value of European startup ecosystem is around e149 bn. 5.5
6 5 3.6
4
2.8
3 1.05
2 0.95 1 0
0.3
0.75 0.6
1.8 0.8
1.1
1.2 0.1
Serbia Lithuania Estonia Finland Sweden Germany Denmark Netherlands Belgium Spain France United Kingdom Ireland
Fig. 2. Value of software output in European startup ecosystems (in thousands e)
Figure 2 shows The United Kingdom has the highest value of software output, while London has 4,7–6,4k. On the other hand, Ireland has the lowest value (